are vnder theyr Prince being the generall Iudge vppon earth to drawe into déepe consideration the aduertisement of the wise man expressed in these wordes Loue iustice you that iudge the earth power is geuen you of the Lorde and the vertue of the soueraigne God communicated vnto you hée will examine your workes and search out your thoughtes And because you are the administors of his kingdom and haue not pronounced good iudgement and much lesse obserued the law of iustice nor walked according to his wyl there wyl appeare vpon you a horrible iudgement as a due sentence executed vppon suche as beare rule mercye is shewed to the litle ones but the mighty shall endure gréeuous torments Such as hée meaneth shal be punished which are those that doo not good iustice sée him in this sort interpreted to them afore the same being the cause why the scripture so cōmonly exhortes the Iudge to Iudge wel thou shalt not O Iudge sayth God in Leuticus doo that which is vnrighteous meaning thou shalt doo nothing against the Law nor intangle thy iudgementes with iniustice thou shalt not haue regard to the person of the poore man by pitye to take awaye the punishment of his transgression amongest other offendours and muche lesse shalt thou honour the face of the mightye to gratifye him in iustice but doo iust iudgement to thy neyghbour In the Booke of Nombers hée speaketh to the Iudges you shal not take the price of the blood of him which is condemned to haue spilt it but let him dye forthwith by your iudgement It is is sayd in Deuteronomy thou shalt ordaine in all the portes of thy Tounes whiche God hath geuen thée through euery family Iudges to iudge iustlye not declyning eyther to the one part or to the other Thou shalt not O Iudge admit acception of person in case of iudgement thou shalt haue no respect whether the man bée Ritche a great Lorde thy Parent Friende neighbour or familiar to the ende to minister fauour neither shalt thou take any presents for presents doo blind the eyes of wise men chaunge the wordes of the iust meaing the oftentimes they put in the mouthes of honest men other language to peruert iustice then they spake afore Thou shalt pursue iustly that which is iust to the ende thou maist liue happely and possesse the lande which thy God will geue thée if thou obey him This Lawe was plainely and fully executed by Iosaphat King of Iudea who erecting Gouernours and Iudges through all the Townes of his kingdome prescribed them these commaundementes folowing take good héede saith he to the duetie of your estate for you exercise not the iudgement of a man but of the great God by whom euen all the iudgementes which you shal geue be they good or euyll shal be returned vppon you that that is good shall bring foorth benefite to your saluation that that is euil shal resolue to your destructiō Aboue all thinges holde before your eyes the feare of God and in cases of your estate and office whether it concerne Inquisition examining of witnesses confrontment of parties pursuite of euyll men or execution of iustice in what sort so euer vse diligence with integrity distribute right to parties according to Lawe and conscience For there is no iniquitie in God as who say he doth no wrong to any man nor hath no power therevnto being Iustice it selfe but hateth all such as commit iniquitie there is not with him exception of persons nor any lust to receiue presentes whereby he warneth all Iudges to iudge in the same qualitie that hée iudgeth that is in right and equitie in trueth and iudgement This was long time before recommended to posteritie by Moyses as being the Liefetenaunt of God whom he calles the God of Gods Lorde of Lordes the mightie and terrible God with whom is no respect of persons nor hath his handes defiled with presentes he that geues iustice to the Orphane and right to the widdowe euen hée that beares affection to the straunger and furnisheth him with foode and clothing by this all Magistrates are warned to suffer no iniurie to be done to poore people who much lesse that they haue any common support in the worlde but of the contrarye they stande subiect to scoffes rebukes and afflictions of the wicked oftentimes to sturre them to a more zeale to straungers he biddeth them remember that they haue béen straungers in Egypt To this he addeth in another place that who doth not obey the commaundement of the Priest at the time when he doeth his ministerye meaning when he is in the exercise of his office as preaching teaching and instructing in Ciuill and common dutye the iudge hath power to condemne him to death thou O Iudge shalt cut of by death euerye wicked man al wickednesse in Israel as the rebellious proude arrogant and all other expressing a wicked will by any dissolute acte the which when the people shall heare or see they will feare neyther shall any man afterwarde dare raise his minde to pride or arrogancye against his superiours God speaketh to Iosua the gouernour and Iudge ouer Israel and immediate successour to Moises I wyll not leaue nor forsake thée be strong valiaunt that is take great courage the better to execute my Law which my seruaunt Moyses left vnto thee Leane neyther to the right nor left hand of the same so shalt thou know what thou ought to doo Let not this booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth meaning exercise thy selfe with the argumēt of it euery day the better to measure the executiō of al those things which thou shalt finde written there then shalt thou direct thy way knowe it which is thou shalt then vnderstand what thou oughtest to doo prosper These speaches bring interest to all Magistrates gouernours of people as well as they were directly spoken to Iosua for what so euer he speaketh to any one singularly the same caryeth entendment to al others of the same estate So that let all gouernours of common weales bée aduertised by this doctrine that in the due execution of their office God wyll alwayes reache them his hande neuer forsaking them his ayde shal be alwayes readily distributed to whatsoeuer they shal do duely concerning their charge in terrefiyng the guiltie and makyng the rest subiect to them which be within their iurisdiction therfore as they néede not feare any thing but to corrupt iustice in their gouernment so for the execution of their iudgementes they are sure of the protection of God whose chosen Lieftenauntes they are Let them vse suche aucthoritie as they maye make tremble the whole worlde vnder them specially the euyll lyuers and conteine others in office of good conuersation For this cause the Ecclesiastike aduiseth vs to take héede to aspire to the state of iudging if we haue not the courage and power to breake the iniquities of all sortes of people séeing
Sodom and Gomorre to see if the desolution of the people aunswered the horrible brute that went of them his wordes were I will discend and see if it be so Hée that knoweth whatsoeuer is done euen in the déepest bottomes and from whome no secréete can bée hid declares by this familiar manner and phrase of Speache applyed to our infirmitye that it belonges to Iudges afore they enter into sentence or pronounce against such as are accused to bée assured of the trueth of the fact least by theyr lightnes or soure passion they committe errour in iudgement In the lawe when the affaires stoode vpon any harde or obscure doubte this was the custome to referre it to the iudgement of God as in the punishment of the blasphemour and what right daughters had to the goods of theyr Fathers in whiche cases there was no resolution set downe in the Law the same seruing as matter of aduertisement to examine exactlye such controuersies and harde causes as the lawes haue no habilitye to decide beséeching God according to the aduise of the scripture so to lighten their inward reason that they may bring forth true and perfect Iudgement But when Iudges will not beginne by this aduertisement nor conforme them selues to this iustice of God his iudgements let them looke for that terrible seuerytie which hee hath thundered vpon those Iudges countries where he found negligence in punishment to those sortes of crimes Hely the great gouernour and Iudge of Israel because hée did not iustice vppon his children brake his necke his children were kylled and all the countrey brought to desolacion The sonnes of Samuel were deposed because they tooke presentes Saul was reprooued for geuing grace to such as hée ought to haue punished after whose death famine came ouer all the land of Palestin for that hée gaue wicked iudgementes in the landes of the Gabaonites whom hée afflicted and made certaine of them passe by vniust death to satisfye which iniquity Seuen of the race of Saule were hanged vpon Gibbertes The Captiuitie of the Israelites and ruine of Ierusalem of the Temple and their Townes happened for the transgression of the Priestes and Kinges done in Iustice corrupting it by presents condemning the iust and iustifying the wicked for Bribes Whereof Esay speaketh thy Princes that is thy gouernours as well in Pollecye Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill are vnfaithfull and haue forsworne them selues yea euen they that haue taken othe to doo good Iustice and haue not obserued it but are become companions of Robbers and haue share in their praye They all loue Bribes and folowe recompenses because they haue done pleasure in iudgement to the ritche But euen those as they were the chiefe in honour and superioritye so also were they first taken Captiues murdered their houses and goodes suffered spoile and they more then others defaced with ignominie contempt and all sortes of wretchednes These bée the miseryes whiche happen to wicked Iudges and theyr Children and for theyr abuses to Tounes Countreyes and Kingdomes So that with good cause I maye recommende as a laste aduertisement to al Iudges to remember the saying of Dauid in this sorte God assistes the assembly of the Gods who are the Iudges and gouernours of his people vnder whome they exercise the iudgement which is proper to God the true and eternall Iudge and therefore are they as partakers of a deuine aucthoritye by enterteining ruling his people by that iustice and souerainty So that as God is in the Courtes of his Iudges and in the middest of them so hée iudgeth them whereby is meant that hée condemneth them if they iudge not according to God. Dauid also pursues them crying in this sort How long O ye peruerse Iudges wil you Iudge so wickedly wyll you not acknowledge your selues in your false iudgementes wyll you alwayes haue regarde to the faces of offendours geuing them support and absolution of their wickednes and liberty to sinne with impunity deliuer the poore man Orphane and iustifie the simple and néedye suffer no wrong to bée done to such as haue no maintenance in the world are without fauourers in courtes Take the poore and néedy out of the hand of the transgressor But what much lesse that these worldlie lordings haue cōmunity with this great pitie seeing as Dauid sayeth they neuer knewe nor vnderstoode what they were bound to doo according to God so greatlye were they inuironed with wretched darkenes and whollye possessed with ignorance of God and his lawes whereby it happeneth that the foundation of the earth shal be moued whiche is that by that occasion exceding great euilles and intollerable aduersityes shall fall vppon the nations of the earth Therfore where I sayd you were gods so greatlye honoured of God by the state which hée geues you representing him in case of iudgemēt I forgat not your infidelity meaning that you shal fal into no lesse miserye wretchednes then any of the auncient wicked Iudges to whose iniquitye was apointed a miserable conclusiō of their vnhappy daies Wherin Dauid considering the lamentable infelicities ouerwhelming the world for the false corrupt iudgemēt of Iudges cries out to God saying Raise thy selfe O Lord God and Iudge the Earth condemne the abuses and faultes of suche people as haue corrupted the earth with impietye by their vnrighteous Iudgementes so shalt thou raigne ouer all nations and bée honoured as a true and iust Lorde and Iudge of the earth doing iustice vpon so many iniquities By this psalme Iudges are instructed to iudge well as well for the reuerence of the great Lord sitting in the middest of them in theyr Iudgements to approue them if they bée righteous and reproue them yea dissolue them if they hold of iniquity condemning the persons to horrible misteries yea euen to shake the foundations of the maine earth so gréeuous to God is a false and vnrighteous Iudge as of the con-contrary hee delites in him who according to conscience acquites his charge duty as also for that they haue the honour estate reuerence of Iudges to distribute right to euery one remembring that lord in their iudgement who hath this perpetuall property to iudge without affection they ought also to haue such exquisite knowledge with exact iudgemēt of reason that according to cōmon naturall sence they iudge to estéeme it a horrible sinne to iudge against their conscience séeing that as infinite Pagans with this iudgement of reason haue established their perpetual glory for the true deciding of causes so the errour of our Iudges being layde vp in the memory of God wil bring them to receyue sētence afore his seate of iudgement to their assured confusion And so let all Iudges knowe that if by their sinister sentences any one is depriued of his goodes honour or life by whiche it can not bée chosen but many calamities wyll happen euen so many eternal damnations do they deserue with no lesse horrible paines
aduising vs by this rather to loase both the hoode and the cloake as the prouerbe is then to bée reuenged of them and endure death rather then to geue one blowe But in cases not touching faith wée maye vse iustice as did Saint Paul who when reproches and false crimes by malice were layde vpon him and Christian faith not touched hée defended him selfe against his false accusers and in extréeme reméedye hée appealeth to Caesar at Rome Touching the Lawes of the Gentiles if according to our opinion before they bée founded in vniuersal reason without errour or infidelitye they ought as braunches springing out of the law naturall to be receiued and obserued as was the marriage of Infidelles But where they suffer errour let them with their idolatries bée abhominable abhorred To answere the obiection which some deriue from S. Paul that the wise christian ought to iudge differences amongest the faithfull where there is no mencion of lawes Saint Paul in saying that the wise man may Iudge meaneth that he bée wise in the vnderstanding of the lawes for in this is the true propertye of wisedome to bée well séene and wise in God concerning thinges deuine and humane so shall his singular wisedome kéepe him from errour in iudgement hauing in him as the teacher of wisedom saith the feare of God knowledge and wisedome and being truly spiritual which by the spirite of God makes exact iudgement in all thinges and can not bée reproued of that whereof hée hath geuen sentence Yet when he ought to Iudge I will not saye but that it is méete that hee haue the lawes of the world in his head yea let him haue a good spirite a sound ripe iudgement and vnderstand wel the cause in present question so laying aside al affection let him recōmend him selfe to God whose iudgement hée exerciseth Let him confer in difficult maters with other sages which with remembrance of Gods holy feare will leade him in integrity of iudgement And knowing that the ende of al lawe is vtility necessity honesty let him prefer honesty before profite publike profit before the perticular gaine of any man that rather certaine priuate persons lose in obseruing the Lawe then the multitude to suffer distresse But aboue all let that honestye which consistes in vertue bée alwayes entertayned doing no euill whereupon to hope for good ¶ The lawe naturall grounded vpon reason vvas two thousand yeres in vse vvithout other ordinaunces sauing the Sabboth and Circumsition and God hath geuen fevve lavves concerning this naturall and ciuill right nor the auncient vvise gouernors of cōmon vveales for iust causes the people of God according to reason haue made iudgementes and follovved the interpretacion of their moral lavves by the instinct of reason by the vvhich God did institute them and therefore vvhen the Scribes and Pharisies peruerted that reason they vvere condemned Gouernours asvvell in theyr ordinaunces as constitucion of paines to punishe offences ought alvvaies to follovve those lavves vvhich God hath ordeyned according to that reason ¶ The .5 Chapter THus vve haue seene that gouernours maye Iudge according to Lawes naturall deuine and humane both in what sort they ought to iudge and that it is not necessarye alwayes to consult with the written Lawe in all Iudgementes for that as there bée more matters then words more causes then lawes So the actions of men as Aristotle saith being infinite can not bée conteyned all by memoryes as also by reason of the dissimilitude varieties they can not be comprehended in generall constitucions such as be the Lawes this was the cause that the Lacedemonians made no great vse of writtē lawes leauing to the discretion of wise Iudges and graue men the iudgement of that whiche was not written God him selfe the Image of all wisedome for the same reason caused no Lawe to bée written in twoo thousand yeeres but that of the Sabboth circumsicion nor in the Gospel we see none expresly instituted by Iesus Christ for a cōmon weale but al was referred to the arbitracion and wise iudgement of gouernours yea when God emploied Moyses to bée the Lawmaker of the Iewes hée erected but fewe lawes and they onelye in principall matters for the preseruation of societye and polletike quiet referring the iudgemēt of other affaires not contained in the same generall Lawes to the discretion of such Iudges as hée had ordained willing for that it was impossible to write lawes to all affaires that in those newe causes theyr iudgement should hold perentory aucthority as wel as in other matters to bée decided by the written Lawes yea hée commaunded that the wise men should interprete his lawes by theyr wisdome as in the interpretacion of the ordinaunce of circumcision that the eyght day men should bée Circumcised they reserued forty yéeres that they were in the desert without being Circumcised In lyke sort of the Phascal or feast of Easter for the seconde moneth to suche as had not done it in the fyrst and so in infinite others by verye good and iuste reasons approued and receaued in the Lawe wherein he gaue them aucthoritye not onely to iudge according to discresion and good aduise and to interprete all Lawes but also gaue them power to make newe as the necessitye of the affaires required whereof for a more assured proofe of others erected according to reason wee sée twoo approued in the Gospell as on the Sabboth day not to goo further then halfe a league to celebrate the feast dedicatory in the moneth of Decēber which Iesus Christ did assist preache there forbearing to speake of many other as in the time of Easter which the Seniors general Iudges and gouernors of the people had ordeyned So that as their aucthoritye is greate to iudge and interprete lawes alwaies erect according to the circumstance of time matter So notwithstanding this must be considered that in a monarchie gouernors neyther haue power nor office to create ordinances but vnder the approbation of the Prince with this regarde further that they hold conformety with the law deuine to prefer Gods honor common profit wherin let gouernors in the constitucion of their statutes haue a perpetual respect to the wil iudgement of God which they ought to preserue interprete and not peruert them as did the scribes pharisies certaine of the Seniors geuing value to their proper inuentions ordinances contrary to the law of god as oftentimes to wash their hādes enritche the treasour of the temple by defrauding the poore fathers mothers of their naturall right touching the norriture which they ought to their children Chiefly let Magistrates obserue cause to bée exactly obserued the lawes of God and afterward the ordinances of man such as they create tending to those endes and others agreeing with the time and nature of places and persons conforming all with the Lawes of God So that when they sée in the Scripture that
in which I am bolde to repose much for the protection of this my small labour and therwithall according to my long profession I humbly dedicate my selfe and seruice to your Honour on whom J doubt not but God will suffer still to attend that good Aungell which hee appointed to bee the guide of Tobias and to accomplishe all his vertuouse and iust desires At my chamber in the Blacke Friers this xvj of May. 1574. Your Honours in assured and faythfull seruice Geffray Fenton ¶ A Table of the particular Chapters thorow the whole treatise The first Booke WHat is first requisit in the well gouerning of a common weale how Ciuill pollecie ought to be conformable to the celestiall gouernement what good commeth of good pollecie what maner of gouernors and iudges ought to be chosen to direct publike estates Chap. 1. fol. 1. ¶ What gouernours God hath chosen and how he hath declared them by miracles they ought all to be instructed at the entrey of the tabernacle why the great benefite comming of good Iudges and why god doth ordeine some wicked Chap. 2. fol. 6. ¶ Gouernours chosen according to GOD make present profe of their election to the profit of the common weale Let them know how to commaund and subiects how to obey the better to make their common weale florish as inferior members obey the more worthy Magistrates ought to be as Fathers the lawe must be inuiolable but specially one true amitie betwene the gouernour and the subiect Chap. 3. fol. 11. ¶ There be two principalities or pollecies which ought to be knit together in vnitie of frendship as the soule and the bodie without difference they ought to aide one another with perpetuall succours Chap. 4. fol. 16 ¶ The faultes of the Clergie ought to bee corrected gouernours ought aboue al things to prouide good Preachers that the rude and plaine sort may be taught in familiar doctrine All sortes ought to be constrained to be at the sermon such constraint is authorised by the scripture is both profitable to the coÌ„mon weale and wholesome to such as are constrained Chap. 5. fol. 20. ¶ The wise worldlings now a dayes would not willingly haue sermoÌ„s as also certain pastors desire nothing lesse theÌ„ to preach laying the blame of the miserie of this time vppon Sermons Chap. 6. fol. 25 ¶ A refutation of such as hold that people are not bound to heare so many sermons wherefore are the Pastors if they feede not the flocke with the foode of the Scriptures Chap. 7. fol. 30 ¶ In how much good Phisitions are necessary to coÌ„mon weales by so much such as be euill are hurtfull and daungerous who ought to be chosen Phisitions in a towne Chap. 8. fol. 35 ¶ Abuses hapning in the world by the supposed name of Phisitions Apothicaries and Chirurgions Chap. 9. fol. 42 ¶ God hath erected Phisicke and willeth that the Phisition bee honored Chap. 10. fol. 48 The second Booke JVdges and gouernours haue of God many seuere commaundements in the Scripture to exhibit iustice by rightfull lawes Chapter 1. fol. 52 ¶ Iudges are warned not to be credulous nor to iudge by reports to take heede of affections and not to iudge by perticular opinion c. Chap. 2. 62 ¶ In humane things Magistrates ought to followe the lawe naturall and in causes diuine the doctrine of faith and the loue of god c. Chap. 3. fol. 68. ¶ Men may vse the morall lawes of the old testament but not the ceremoniall and iudiciall applied to the times and maners of the Iewes which Iesus Christ also S Paul doth confirme these were natural therfore ought to be eternall c Cha. 4. fol. 72 ¶ The law naturall grounded vppon reason was two thousand yeres in vse without other ordenances sauing the Sabaoth and Circumcision c. Chap. 5. fol. 78 ¶ Gouernours ought to punish by death such as God condemnes to eternall and temporall death c. Chap. 6. fol. 83 ¶ Sinnes coÌ„mitted against the second Table are worthy of death euen so deserue they eternall damnation c. Chap. 7. fol. 89 ¶ Diuerse punishments of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kyndes of the same sinne Chap. 8. fol 94 ¶ Continuance of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes Chap. 9. fol. 98 ¶ Theft was not punished in the law but by restitution of double treble and foure fold but now for iust causes it is punnished by death theft by necessitie in some sort excusable Chap. 10 fol. 102 ¶ There is a double lust or vrlawfull couetousnes forbidden vs c. Chap. 11. fol. 108 The third Booke ENumeration of sinnes wherof men make no conscience and are oftentimes in the condition of greeuous sinnes their qualitie and grauetie do vary c. Chap. 1. fol. 115 ¶ Flattery is declared very hurtful to commoÌ„ weales families it makes young people rise into great pride c. Chap. 2. fol. 119 ¶ Let none glorifie himselfe but in his pouertie necessitie and affliction c. Chap. 3. fol. 123 ¶ Scoffers men of pleasant conceit pretending none other end but to encrease pleasure are rebukeable but more if their testing torne to the reproch of any so do they offend god Chap. 4. fo 129 ¶ Plaies which of themselues beare no vice are not disalowable in respect of their ends and lawfull causes vnlawfull games at Dice are causes of much euill Chap. 5. fol. 133 ¶ Daunces with their wanton songs at this day are vaine and vnchast Chap. 6. fol. 137 ¶ Minstrels are vnworthy of the state and fellowship of townes men as also puppet players c. Chap. 7 fol. 141. ¶ Idlenes is a vice most common bringing with it most other offences yet no conscience made of it Chap. 8 fol 147 ¶ The ritch sort haue more to trauell then the poore and in what such as labour in mind trauell more then the painfull laborer Chap. 9. fol. 152 ¶ Gouernours ought not to suffer any idle men in their common weales c Chap. 10. fol 156 ¶ In all creatures is seene a perpetual labour whetâ—â—â— in heaueÌ„ in earth or in the sea c. Chap. 11. fol 161 ¶ There be diuers sortes of idle men some worke certain howers c. Chap 12. 1â—5 ¶ Loyâ—e eâ—s accustomed to begge wil be applied to no other trade c. Chap. 13. fol. 169 The fourth Booke THe simple impotent and true needie poore we ought to hold in singular and deare care Chap. 1. fol. 172 ¶ Many haue giuen all that they haue to the poore to follow Iesus Christ in hope to be happie c. Chap. 2. fol. 176 ¶ Compassion ought chiefly to be showed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kind c. Chap. 3. fol. 180 ¶ Hospitalitie and almes in all times haue ben in singular estimation c. Chap 4. fol. 183 ¶ We must not feare that by giuing Almes wee shal be poore for God c Chap. 5. fo
all Create others Centeniers to rule ouer an hundred Cinquanteniers to beare aucthoritye ouer Fiftye and Disiniers to commaunde ouer ten Let these Iudge the people in all seasons according to their order and charge and bringing to thée the causes of greatest importance specially suche as concerne God let them iudge the rest So shalt thou bee discharged of that great burden of labour where in vaine thou dyddest consume thy selfe before In this aduise of God to Moyses we sée is expressed what ought to bée the office nature and state of suche as are chosen to leade and iudge others according to God and that not onely in highe and stately Courtes but in places of right meane sorte who notwithstanding as in degrées so also in knowledge and vertue ought to aspire to excellencie Suche then bée wise men who with the sence of deuine and humaine learning bée principally instructed in the knowledge of God and vnderstand his will and iudgement with contemplacion of the causes effectes and nature of all thinges And being wise in this sorte as theyr exact knowledge will leade them to geue a perfect iudgement of al thinges so being ignoraunt in the least much lesse that they can iudge in integretye séeing they can not merite the name of wyse men But because according to Sainct Paul men maye haue knowledge and yet in theyr doinges bée voyde of integritye Iethro addeth the feare of God that is that knowing God they doe also feare and serue him For suche men would not willingly feare God who knowe his iudgements to bée no lesse horrible to them that displease him then terrible to suche as execute false Iudgement whereby trueth is peruerted wrong pronounced to the multitude and their proper conscience defiled And therefore as hee woulde haue them to bée firme in simplicitye of worde Doctrine and iudgement without instabilytye in cases of trueth which by theyr wisedome they knowe to bée so agréeable to God as hée is called the selfe trueth so it is a breache of theyr duety if they bee subiect to the errour of mutacion They must also hate Couetousnes as in which is layde vp the roote of al euils A vyce of more damnable perril then all the rest and of a nature so wicked that it leades men to Idolatrye by preferring Golde and glorious drosse of the worlde afore the liuing God drawing from them in the ende all feare Religion Reuerence and knowledge of God translate their hearts to infidelitie both towards Heauen and earth Lyke as by lamentable experience wée sée that oftentimes the gréedines of a wretched present leades the couetous Iudge into such blinde and reprobate sence that to peruert Iustice hee stickes not to commit his soule to sale Louing rather the base Earth then the maiestie of heauen to handle Golde then behold the Sonne to bée ritche then honest and lastly seekes to laye vp his felicitie in his transitory presence of welth rather then to lift vp his minde to aspire to the life euerlasting So that in such as are chosen to the regiment of pollecie ought to bée no note of auarice and muche lesse any profe of corruption for doing any acte of iniustice seing that of all other there is this perill in that vice that being once made ritche by couetousnes there is no limit or measure of their extorcion euen as to a smal flame if you adde encrease of wod you rayse it easilie to a greater blase For by howe much more there is offer and meane of gaine euen by so much more doeth the raging zeale of auaâ—ice growe great yea euentâ—â— iâ— bée vnquencheable in the Ritche couetous man it takes continual increase not onely with the poyson of ritches but also with the yeres of their age where other vices carye this common property to diminishe with time the same being the cause why the Scripture saieth There is nothing more wicked then a couetous man for hée is not onely wicked to others by bringing pouertie vpon them in rauishing their goodes but also hee is the confounder of him selfe as touching his soule which hée bequeathes to the Deuil for nothing and oftentimes selleth it for a bare hope of a base profite executing the like iniurye vpon his bodye from the which hee oftentimes restraines natural and necessary nourishment becomes a nigarde to his health by sparing his purse makes his mind and body subiect to passions and perpetual labors shorteneth his temporal life and which worse is loseth euerlasting felicitye So that as Iesus Christ and after him Saint Paul not without cause do exhort in great affectioÌ„ to flée couetousnes as the nurse of infidelity the mother of perdition and lastly the infectious roote of al euils to such as folow it so if this vyce bring such damnable miseries to all mankinde as in respect of his continual wretchednes it ought chiefly to bee auoyded of the Iudge in whome ought not to appeare so much as a suspicion of such euil insomuch that besides the extreme peril of his Soule infinite are the temporal iniquityes which flow from a couetous Iudge in whom for gaine-sake is seldome found any difficultie to offer to hassard the goodes honour and life of many persons the same being the cause why the Sonnes of Samuel were deposed from their iudgement seate and why Cambises caused one of his Iudges to be slaine quick and with his skin couered his chaire the better to aduertise the sonne and successors of the sayd Iudge that they were subiect to the same iustice if for gaine they pronounced corrupt iudgement ¶ What gouernors God hath chosen and howe he hath declared them by myracles they ought all to be instructed at the entree of the Tabernacle and why the great benefite which commeth of good Iudges and why God doth ordaine some wicked ⧠The .2 Chapter TO resort eftsones to the matter of election of gouernours to common weales who are Iudges by theyr institution with the counsell of Iethro wée will ioyne the example of God when hée elected rulers ouer his people as Moyses for the most perfect and Iosua and for his Tabernacle Aaron and Phineus and then examine what commaundemente God gaue to Moyses for the calling of seuenty Elders or Senators whome hée ordayned as soueraygne Iudges and gouernours ouer the Townes of Israel Moyses in his complaint to be insufficient to susteine so great a charge and burden of affaires was hearde of God by him coÌ„manded to assemble at the Gate of the Tabernacle Seuenty of the most Auncient of Israel suche as were most wise best experienced amongst the people causing them to assist and stay with him to impart with them graces requisit to the estate office of good gouernors which graces hée calleth part communion of the spirite of Moyses whose perfect knowledge of thinges exact iudgement Holye zeale and integritye of Fayth Doctrine and lyfe such as were in him so they are al
if we feare the force of the mightie we shall feare to do good iustice and so bring Sclaunder to our light desire of souerentie but as in good iudges God displaieth some beames of his deuinitie as being the ministers of his deuine iustice so he ioynes to their office the operation of some deuine vertue which makes thē feared of their subiectes For this cause are they called Heloym that is Gods as partaking with the force and power of God the more constantly to execute his iudgementes in earth In the Scripture we reade of no Iudge or Magistrate doing his estate which did not bring feare to all their people and made them obedient to his ordinaunces for God by the Iudge geues a secrete feare to bring others to subiection And albeit the Mutinus people of Israel fel into often reuolt against their great gouernour Moises whom they would haue stoned yet he eschewed not his charge much lesse forbare for feare to do iustice but in one day made passe by the edge of the sworde twentie thrée thousand idolatours of one race of Leui and although the resisting aduersarie was twelue times more in number yet they durst not stretche out their handes to defende their Rebellion yea he apprehended at one time twelue of the greatest Lords of the people and Captaynes of the armie because they assisted the sacrifices of the Madianites with whom they committed whordome and yet not in one of the multitude was founde so much as to lift vp his finger in signe of resistaunce the which remayning in example to the succession of other Magistrates they were neuer fearefull to do iustice eyther vpon any singuler great state or vpon a whole multitude offending as knowing that hauing in hande the affaires of God whose chiefe prescript was to punishe the transgressours that he woulde not suffer them to endure hurt nor forsake them executing seuere iustice vpon the wicked ⧠Here Iudges are warned not to be credulus nor to iudge by reportes to take heede of affections and not to iudge by particuler opinion to resiste vvhich euils God ordeyned in the Lavv seuentie Counsellers to vvhom he enioyneth sobrietie chastitie integritie and wisdome to be followers of the iudgement of God in the exact examining of offences and to punishe them according to the grauitie of the transgressions that they be not couetous seeing that for couetousnesse the sonnes of Samuel vvere deposed they must leaue no sinne vnpunished terrible sentence for vnrighteous iudgementes an aduertisement of Dauid to Iudges vvith a prophecie of their miserie if they iudge not in equitie ¶ The .2 Chapter THere be other preceptes in the Scripture prescribed also to Gouernours in their estate of iustice which I néede not now bring in particuler question for that they haue the same commaundement to haue the Scripture in their handes which was geuen to Iosua their example and Patrone in causes of iudgement the better to gouerne the people and therefore I hope it can not bring offence if by the way of generall perswasion I do exhort them to be such as the scripture prescribes but chiefely according to the rule of their election that they be sober wise and discrete to the ende they be not circumuented by ignoraunce imprudence error and misintelligence and so seduce the direction of most waightie and graue affaires which fault was noted in Dauid when he gaue sentence against Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas by the false report of Syba seruaunt of the saide Miphiboseth at whose onely worde contrary to the Scripture which alloweth no sentence but by the testimonie of thrée or two at the least hée condemned the other and woulde not heare him in his iustification An acte contrary to all reason and right of nature by which as we sée that in hastye credulitie coniecture only or opinion suddain passion of coller or wicked affection as hate enuie sutteltie thirst of benefite lightnesse of mynde with all other affections as thinges contrarie to wisedome and discretion be of power to peruert iudgement So the same is the cause why the Lawe requires in Iudges wisdome discretion and conference with wise men and not to stay vpō their particuler opinions the same being the respect why God erected seuentie Senatours for the gouernment of the people who consulting altogether in the common businesse and one correcting the errour of another can not but forme good iudgement Besydes such a multitude as Aristotle saith can not be easilye corrupted no more then a great abundance of water but with great difficultie where a small vessell in small time can not but suffer infection The Scripture aduiseth them to be sober and moderate the better to auoyde trouble of minde by intemperaunce which hauing power to hinder the effect of good iudgement in whom it possesseth it draweth also the mind to negligēce takes away al care of the affayres They are also defended from immoderate loue of women as well by the destinie of Salomon who hauyng the gift of wisedome lost by his vnbridled loue and lust all grace in iudgement as also by the example of the twoo wicked Iudges testifying against Susanna who by their inflamed desyres of her beawtye corrupted theyr iudgement So that by the Scripture all Iudges are warned that neither in their mindes nor wyll remaine any peruersitie error or affection but a full inclination to integritie onely zeale of iustice ioyned with knowledge which as it is the same light of the mynde by the which we discerne clearely that which is good or euyll iust or vnrighteous so in a peruersed wyll or wicked affection is bred confusion of the spirite which consequentlye leadeth to perplexities and both troubles and hinders the facultie of vpright iudging euen as if there be neuer so litle a Moate or Beame in the eye the cleare sight is hindered and it hath lesse power to discerne the true difference of things presented afore it but muche lesse possibilitie of sound iudgement is there in the ignoraunt man who not vnderstanding the Lawe suffereth the same error which the blinde man doth whose want of sight makes him vnhable to discerne collours But the better to forme their iudgementes irreprehensible and without reproche the Scripture layeth afore them the iudgementes of God as the true Images and Portraictes representing such example of iudgement and iustice as the Magistrates of the earth ought to followe which Salomon and Tobias call the most true and iust ballaunce and Dauid resembling them with the trueth it selfe saith that such ought the iudge to bée in whose iudgement is founde no iniquitie So that the Iudges raised by him to dispose iustice in his place ought alwayes to haue the Maiestie of him in their mindes and his iudgementes in imitation He iudgeth not by heare say and much lesse by apparance or likelyhood but according to the trueth In which sort it is sayde in Genesis that hée descended into
corporall death is decréed in the Lawe of nature and other seuere iudgement of God inferred to the wicked as to Cayn for kyllyng his brother by the tremblyng of his bodye to the murtherers by the sworde to the worlde for his delightes glorie and whordome by the flood to them of Sodome and Gomorrhe for sinnes against nature by the fire of heauen to the adulterers and rauishers of women by terrible vengeaunce and to the chidren of Iudas who had done abhominable actes by paynes of suddaine deathes which they sawe euen by a naturall iudgement pronounced or inflicted as to Thamar for committing whordome and to the Sichimites for the Rape of Dina the daughter of Iacob If gouernours punishe not suche faultes by like paynes at the least let them ordaine others either conformable or neare approching them alwayes considering that corporall paines in the lawe bée figures and foreshowes of the eternall death which sinne deserueth In like sort where they sée in the Lawe of Moises certaine sinnes to bée punished by the body let them iudge them right sore displeasing and hateful to God who loueth his creature so dearelye as hée hath geuen him his owne image and likenesse and for whome he hath made the inferiour heauens the earth and the Elements with all thinges conteyned in the same and for whose cause hée sent his proper sonne vpon the earth to suffer all miseries yea most cruel and sclaunderous death And therfore being thus instructed bothe by the lawe whiche punisheth certaine sinnes with death specially suche as bée against the ten coÌ„maundements of the Moral Lawe or directly against Gods honour our neighbour or a wholâ— common weale and also by the Gospell to whom certeine sinnes are so abhominable as it condemnes them to eternall death and perpetual tormentes where is gnashing of téeth and lamentable sighinges they maye conclude suche offences to bée worthy of death specially where a whole common weale is iniured or offended For touching secréete sinnes wherein is no meane of proofe let them refer them to the iudgement of God and to the repentaunt Men sayeth the Scripture haue no power nor facultie to iudge but in matters apparant to the eye God séeing into the heart discernes the secréet things wherof hée defendes the iudgement to al others But where God is offended the coÌ„mon weaâ—e iniured there let theÌ„ follow the iudgement of god which we know to be thundred vpon sinners committing such faultes Therefore let Iudges bee well aduised and geue no libertye of life to suche whom God hath already condemned in heauen both to corporal and eternall death Let them acknowledge that they are here erected as imitatours executours of his iudgement Let them remember Saul who pardoned Agag whom God had condemned to death and Saul for his indulgencye was reproued depriued of his kingdom Let them not also forget the grace which Helias shewed to his dissolute children who for that they were abhorred of god were the cause of his death I meddle not with the reproches which God gaue to the gouernours of Israell because they suffered sinne with impunitye suffering suche to liue who had defiled the earth with theyr wickednes people abhominable to God and worthy so many deathes as they had committed horrible vices And therefore hee condemneth those Iudges euen so often to eternal death as they gaue sufferaunce to others to commit suche faultes without inflicting vpon them corporall death To this let them adioyne this aduertisement that as one member corruptes the rest so the rotten part disposing continuall infection into the rest of the body deserues to bée cut of euen as the good Surgeon not suffering a Canker to encrease cuttes it of so soone as it beginnes to appeare Let them not doubt but that according to the Gospel al euil wicked men which the Law of nature and Moises condemne yea the humane lawe also according to reason do adiudge to death ought to die For as the Gospel so aloweth al those lawes as is before prooued S. Paul aduiseth the Corinthians by them all others to take awaye the wicked man who being corrupt in maners corruptes others for which cause he compares them to the leuine aduising notwithstanding that the punishmeÌ„t come from the magistrate who hauing the sworde is a iust terror to the offeÌ„dor for that he carieth it not in vain being the minister of god executour of his law which euen in the gospel condemneth the man that hath done euil Wherefore al men disposed into the action of wickednes must be punished by the magistrate otherwaies he should bring abuse to his estate Is it not the magistrate by whom S. Paul willeth that all such in a coÌ„mon weale should be cut of by death which vexe the church and are mutinus sedicious iniurious false prophetes wherin because it may be douted to what vices the scripture appointeth punishment specially by death I meane to declare by order the paines of such as the law coÌ„demneth to the ende the magistrate leaue theÌ„ not vnpunished in his coÌ„mon weale nor iustifie such by which he should draw malediction as god hath already condemned by the scripture Heare we must not winke at an error of our time receiued almost thorow al christeÌ„dom which is that we obserue no better the imitacion so often recoÌ„mended to vs of the iudgements of God to leade vs being also commaunded in the scripture according to the same in the punishment of sinnes which is a kinde of infidelitye and ignorance of God or presumptuous boldnes or at least an inseÌ„sible dulnes This error deriueth partly from the humane lawes made by the Pagans whose gouernment being led for the most part by fleshly reason suffred impunity for many sinnes which God by his law condemneth to death as diuinations sorceries diuers sorts of magike with whoredomes sauing women whoremongers for men that made the lawes were exempted the virgins vestal or incestuous women with their adulterors condemning no more coÌ„mon vseries excessiue interestes with like sinnes which God abhorreth Gouernors of common weales ought in no wise to hold conformety with these Pagan iudgemeÌ„ts But reforme them making felt the grauitye of such sinnes by the rigour of worthy punishmeÌ„t Men were wont to haue regard only to punishe such sinnes as séemed to beare preiudice to a coÌ„mon weale and therfore sinnes common against god or which of their owne nature be common or Publike wherin the world delights without contradiction are left vnpunished the same being an occasion to prouoke the wrath of God vpon a whole nation destroye whole kingdomes If the auncient canons of the Church bée wel searched it wil be found that al such offences are punished by long straite penance as are also al othes yea the most execrable that men tooke in vaine of god or of the gods diuers opinions of religion although they were absurde wicked and lastly inuocation to the
specially they haue practised their knowledge by some experience which giues them a skill to fight with more wisedom and greater courage This is in effect that I had to saye in exhortacion to young wittes to followe the studie of learning and withal to aunswere such as hold that learning profites not artisans marchantes no nor Gentlemen if specially they follow armes but makes them fearful to followe the hazard and fortune of warre an opiniō sufficiently proued false aswell by reason as by certaine experience of many worldes The ende of the v. Booke The vi Booke ¶ Of the office of euery estate and first of the dutie of the husbond to his wife Chapter j. WE haue nowe to handle the duetie of euery estate with the particulare conuersacion of all sortes of people excepte Magistrates gouernors Phisicions Apoticaries Surgeons principals regentes and Schoole maisters and office of schollers to their maisters of all which we haue debated before and therefore the better to prepare and order our discourse we will beginne with the thrée first societies beginnings of naturall pollicies and naturall foundacions of all common weales that is of the mā and woman in mariage of Fathers and mothers and of children of maisters and seruauntes and of Maistresses and their handmaydes and so pursue successiuely the other qualities and condicions of diuerse personnes Touching the Husband he ought to acknowledge him selfe to be created of God and that with action of thanks man to his image and likenes to the ende to represent him heare in all perfection of vnderstanding of iudgement and of reason And albeit he hath erred I meane in Adam and is falne by sinne from that similitude Image of perfection yet he hath alwayes reteyned by Gods goodnes more then the womā some excellencie of nature touching the minde force and abilitie of body by both which reliefes of his firste creation nature when he vseth them in seasons and exercises hée hath atchieued many right highe and memorable actes So that by how much he hath that aduantage aboue the woman in those naturall vertues by so much more is hée bound to expresse and show them in the gouernement of his wife and housholde And therefore it is méete hée kéepe in societie with his quicke and sharp vnderstanding a déepe iudgement and a reason exempt and frée from all vaine and wicked affections which he shall then performe to his honor and prayse of his kynd and preheminence of nature when he shall most decke and set out his minde with knowledge specially of GOD which is as a light to the minde in all her speculations and humane actions and when hee shal bee garnished with faith and reskued by the ayde of Gods grace presented and communicated to the humble good liuers And so a man taking this course with common and diligent exercise in vertue may marrie in a competent reasonable age which is in some sooner and in others more late according to the importance of their nature and strength At the furthest let him not excéede xxxvi yeres a tyme for marriage prescribed by Hesiode and Aristotle I thinke they spake chiefly of Philosophers and such to whom by the perpetuall exercise of their youth was no oportunitie or leasure to marie nor sooner then at xx yeares if there be no iust causes of anticipation as not to restraine the vigor and naturall faculties of strength and growing which continues cōmonly vntill xxviii yeares by which the life is shortened and children engendred in the weake age of their father are subiect to debility in corporal stature partaking more of dwarffes then of substantial and perfecte men The same is also a lawfull cause to staie maides from hastie marriage specially afore they beare sufficient and iust stature and their naturall forces resolued other wayes they stand in perill of the inconueniences with their husbandes whiche afterwardes can not be remedied I know the positiue lawes aduaunce the time of mariage giuing libertie to the man at xiiii and the mayd at xii yeares not that those lawes approue that prerogatiue or anticipate marriage by commaūdment but onely by permission to prouide for and bridle those intemperat lustes which easely can not bée limited in young men left to idle libertie and without the authoritie of parentes by which occasion without this meane their hoat youth would carrie them into adulteries incestes and rapes with other filthie delites of the fleshe wherein they would wallow as little pigges in puddles This councell I giue by the opinion and consent of naturall philosophie according to the which wise men are wont to gouerne their bodies and kéepe their youth from corruption And in the Scripture we read the yong mē grown to perfect stature as Jsaac and Iacob had xl yeares afore they married a time wherein they were able to enter wedlocke by holy and wyse iudgement not to accomplishe onely the pleasures of the flesh vnworthie for such as know God but of purpose chiefly to raise procreation according to the institutiō of marriage whom they had then discretion to instruct in the knowledge and feare of God wherunto they are enioyned by scripture leauing the other cause whiche is the remedie of infirmitie for suche as vexed with hoat luste stood in daunger to slyde into the corrupte effectes of the fleshe The youth of Jsrael were neuer admitted to mariage till they bare age to be enrolled in the bookes of mustters for the warrs the better to be able to defende their wyfe and children against enemies wherin the fact can not but beare against all reason to committ a wife to a husband in whom is neyther force to defend hir nor discretion to direct hir both which are most necessary in mariage and much lesse being pore him selfe hath no mean by art or abylitie of industrye to prouide for his wife and howshold great suer is the folly in ani man to aspire to mariage afore he haue attained to the vertues requisit to the honorable direction of that estat and by discretion can employe his wealth gotten to vses and be able by law and force if need be to defend him and his against all violent oppressors But much more intolerable is that rashnes that leads men to marie being not yet prepared to entertain and prouide for the necessities of it by this the séede of pouertie is sowen in all parts of a kingdome wherof the haruest is more plētifull then of other things their children haue their succoure in begging their wiues yet young are constrayned with dishonour to wander to the great perill of their chastitie In the mean while till nature establish compotent years let this forward youth be tamed by trauells and continuall labors let them be enured with sermons and doctrine by the which they may restraine their passions but specially on festiuall days a time when idlenes ioyned with libertie invites youth both to do and think euill yea if ther be
shall pronounce Wherein the Curat and hée ought to be as the spirit and soule in the gouernement of the bodie and as Aaron and Moyses knit in indissoluble amitie to establish a cure peaceable and happie to the people the pastor preaching doctrine the gentleman ministring discipline to reduce by force the wicked and disobedient in whom is no readines of wil to Gods seruice or ciuill order But if eyther in matters of doctrine or temporalitie there happen causes of hard dicision wherein the one without preiudice of conscience cannot determine and the other by his coūsell can assure no certaine iudgement Let the curat returne the cause to the Bishop if it be ecclesiasticall and Gentlemen appeale to the higher courtes temporall as we sée in the old lawe God ordayned both the one and the other court with diuersitie and distinction erecting in euery court Iudges superior for the graue and hard causes others more inferior to debate matters of meaner qualetie So that as Curats are as first iudges spirituall and Gentlemen as temporall and seculer for the courtes ciuill the second are as seneshals or baylifs the highest as presidents coūsellours So yet all causes requiring dispēse of the law or that haue néed of grace are sent to the Prince in whō only is power to make chaung lawes vpon iuste causes to him only belongs the gifte of pardon grace euen in such causes of crime as deserue death But now to retorne to our gentilman seing he is iudge of his tenaunts let him resort to the instructions of our second booke the better to leade him in that estate and if eyther for the nomber or grauitie of causes he call to him a iudg let him chuse him by the rule and prescription of our first booke not suffering him to pronounce affected or faulse iudgments which is a vice most heinous against God whose iudgments be iuste and euen as a balance acording to the which the iudgments of men ought to be ruled wherin in déed as iustice and iudgment belonge properly to God such then as execute them vnder him in lawful authoritie ought to obserue his commaundement and manner in the measure of iustice and iudgments otherwise their vsurpation makes them guiltie of high crime afore the heauenly iudge Togither with this order of iustice the gentilman is bound to kéepe and defend his tenants as the shepherd his Lambes that they be not deuoured of vagabounds spoyled of théeues and mordered by robbers But as the good shepherd watcheth ouer his flocke defends it from woulues chasing them with dogges takes them and hanges them on trees to terifie others not to anoy◠the slocke euen with such liuelie diligence ought the gentilman to pursew roages and rauinors seruing to no other vse but to deuoure a countrie causing them to be hanged in publike places by the highe waye side and to exinte vtterlye that wicked generation And if their skinne be worthy any thing I meane if they haue substance remaining uppon their rauinus trade let it be distributed to such frō whome it waa vniustly taken In consideration of such regiment guarde and defence of pore contrimen the gentilman hath rents and reuenue and is honored feared and loued and called Lord of such as resort vnder him Wherfore doth he only in a parish weare a sworde but that to him a lone belonges the defence of his people and to serue the prince Therfore so often as he is called Lord and that with reuerence and homage they bring him rents and benefites let him euen so often remember for what cause he is raised into such singuler estimation and by what merit he aspired to that dignitie of honour And if eyther by his proper vertues or desert of his aūcestors he hath atchieued that estate of noblenes Lett him euen by the same vertues retaine and kepe his repuacion by the which he got it Let him thinke the honor is not due but to vertue authoritie belōges not but to the wise and discrete no more are his rentes reuenues constituted for other purpose then for the regiment guarde and defense of his tenantes as the farmor takes not the fléese and milke of the shéepe but to féede and kéepe the flock since he is a Gentleman let him refraine from all actes of villanie let him not bée ignorant wherefore he hath the name of noble which according to the Gréeke signifieth bright as a cléere light and in Latin it is hée that is knowne and renoumed generally hée can not shine with cleare light nor be knowne famous thorough the world but by his enseignes and valiant actes not sparing his life for the defence of the church and his Countrey employing his body and goods for the support of Gods honour and put his life in hazard to deliuer the people from extréeme daungers which he could not doe but by seruinge and praying to God liuing soberly vsing iustice and wisedome in his actions magnanimitie and patience to the reproches of his enemies tolleration of hunger cold with other passions of hardnes and kéeping no reckoning of the woundes he hath receyued traueling in the action of these high vertues for a singular charitie towardes God whose honour with the common spoile of the people had else stand in hasarde Then this noble Gentleman passinge so many perplexities to put in suertie and rest a towne or a region can the merite of his vertues bring to him lesse rewarde then the title name of noble both according to the Greeke and Lattin phrase hath he not wonne and purchased rentes and reuenues that hath wasted his proper liuing for the benefite and publique sauetie Euen so who followeth not the vertues by the which this name Honour Renowne and Rentes haue ben gotten howe can hée deserue the vse benefit or estimation of them yea what degeneration doth he expresse from his auncestors by whom they were gotten with the sweat of their bodies and common daungers of their persones should he not bring foorth dishonour if he followed not their steppes If he be giuen to vices greatly would hée darken their noble vertues if he be a coward much more would he deface their high and valiaunt attemptes and if he giue not him selfe to the maintenance of the church and defense of the people specially such as he hath in singuler charge what imitacion of his vertuouse predecessours who reposed all their glorie in the happie occomplishing of these things thinking they could not woorthely retaine the name nor the honor or at least holde them by false and vniust titles if they conserued not the iust causes of those dignities as also vnworthely possessed their rentes and reuenues due by their originall nature to the exercise and hyer of such noble enterprises Gentlemen then not liuing within the limites of religion but persecute blaspheme and vnder the title of their noblenes not knowing the woorthines of it doe manye iniuries despise others
soule eternally in the worlde to come But good aduocates led by simplicitie of conscience as Aristotell sayth by his knife seruing to mani vses and therfore very profitable are men no lesse conuenient necessarie and honorable then any other sort in a comon weale and of whom perticular estates in a kingdom stand in nede so that if they pursue their estate according to the right office and dutie of the same they conteine men in order and bring infinit commodities to a whole countrie they supporte the right of the prince and valiantly resiste such as seeke to blaspheme against his maiestie blasphemye I call with the apostels outrage done against the maiestie of the prince representing God in earth and therfore the iniurie done against the prince turneth against God In causes of affairs concerning princes officers of all estates chauncelers presidents counselers noble men marchants riche pore widowes maides ther is necessitie of the aduocate who in causes of pleading is called and instructed in the cause yea in these dayes the dissembled vicar of Rome his cardinalls bishops curats pristes clarkes if there be question touching their office or authoritie must resorte to the aduocate to emplede the estate of the cause in what supreame courte soeuer it be he good aduocate seruing God and folowing integritie is the mediator betwéene quarilous people O reconcilar of ennmies the authore of peace and an example to a common weale Touching common proces he accordeth mo in one hower then a whole parciall court doth in thrée yeres he will make conscience to enterteyne a proces which he foreseith is like to continue longe and therfore giueth councell of agrement to the parties if he knowe any pore man ouermatched with a riche or captious aduersarie he doth what he can to drawe the matter to accorde wherby he deliuereth the person from encomber and his goodes from daunger to be loste by the hazard of the iudges yea one good aduocat doth more good seruice to the world then many iudges in whome is constraint to giue sentence according to their offices being not able to accorde the parties by arbitration it is not meete that an aduocate notwithstanding his excelencie of knowledge without longe experience of pleading aspire to the office of a iudge or president but eyther by constraint of the Prince or by compulsion of olde age being no more able to sustaine the labours due to the dutie of that profession not buying the dignitie which the Pagans estéemed the same vice which we call simonie but by election of other Iudges of the Court in whom may rest suretie for his vpright dealing procurers which are as publike soliciters and generall syndickes of all causes in place of the parties to solicit aduocates and Iudges and procure expedicion of Iustice to their clients and notaries appoynted to receiue faithfully truly the appoyntments of Iudges contenting them selues with their rate authorised by the court or ordained by their Prince ought without futtletie delaye or couetousnes exercise their estate wicked notaries in Esaie are subiect to malediction as also vnrighteous Law readers and Iudges because they write and pronounce vnrighteous Lawes ¶ The dutie of Marchants Chapter x. MArchants folowing an estate of iust commutacion are men no lesse profitable necessary and farre more honorable in their common weale thē many of the other perticuler sortes of calling mentioned in the other Chapters And albeit according to the consequence and order of the Booke I haue placed them after the other as I haue coopled clerkes with their Masters procurers with their aduocates other necessary officers with men of Iustice most necessary to serue them in that estate yet there is no cause of disgrace to the honest marchant in this preheminence of place for that only necessitie of order tied me thereunto which I haue obserued in the discourse of Apothicaries and Chirurgions following the Phisitions where I should haue placed them after the aduocates and many other of qualetie But as in this obseruation is no dishonour to the marchaunt so hee shall find no lesse instruction touching the office of his calling according to God then if his discourse had come afore the rest ouer many of whom I must confesse hee hath right of preheminence by common custome of nations and reason The Marchant then aboue al thinges in the exercise of common traffike betweene men is to consider déepely of the two generall lawes Thou shalt not doo to another that which thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe and loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And as they vse the yard to measure their wares and the ballance to waigh it and that there is no cloth nor other wares measurable which they do not passe by the yard or elne nor any thing méete to be waighed which they cast not into the ballance vsing both the one and the other aswell in vile and base as riche and precious thinges applying also the helpe of nombers for the better diuision of perticularities if néede requireth So in all traffikes whither in grosse or in retaile the marchant is bound to the obseruation of those two commaundements by the which he is expressely enioyned that as he would not him self be deceiued so also he must not willingly administer deceite or wrong to an other neyther beare such loue to his proper profite as in it maye be bred the iniurie or harme of another but in all things of commutation bargaine to vse the same conuersation to straungers which he would others should vse to him Who in their common actions would rightly applie this lawe of nature grounded on true reason and the other of the Gospell deriued of charitie the perfect fulfilling of all lawes much lesse that they should néede instructions séeinge they should seldome finde occasions to erre And the cause why there remaine at these dayes so manye prescript constitutions and statutes is in no other respect but that men eyther could not or would not rule their actions by those two lawes and much lesse applie them from generalitie into speciall particulars I would to God that euen as the Marchant of cloth vseth his elne or yarde not to beguile him selfe or his chapman in the measure that also and aswell he would vse the lawe of nature and charitie in the price goodnes of his cloth euen such as he would the other should sell to him if there were exchaunge of qualitie if he would haue the price reasonable full measure not to be passed by the short yarde which ought to be solde by the longe and that the cloth be good substantiall and sufficient neyther corrupted in the making nor burnt in the dying Let him euen do the like to his chapman comming to buy of him where then shal be the common sayinge amongst them Let the marchant sell his wares as well as he can it is lawfull to euery one to make his best profit No man is bound to sell so iustely and
angrie with the Jsraelites in sending them dearth of corne for not paying their tenthes yea if the husbandmen forget their tithes to the poore Leuits and left not in haruest time for the other poore to gleane and distributed almes at other seasons according to their dutie they were thretned with barrennes and dearth ouer the land wherin Christians haue to consider touching all those texts standing vppon the law of God and authorised by the Gospell being more iustly bound then the Hebrewes to whom the causes were nothing so reasonable as also for that the ministery without comparison is of more value more honorable in the Gospell then in the law and lastly for that the Gospell recommends the poore dearely to vs and with more riche promises of recompence then the law The third vice may be in the paiment of their rents to their Lordes and creditors to whom as they may vse subtletie and eyther defeate or delay them of their duty so in bargaining for corne and wyne they may sell corrupt wares in diuerse sorts for the which it hapneth by the iustice of God that in the end pouertie is the reward of those people ioyned with recompence of euery fatall and miserable calamitie eyther vppon them or their houses Pastors and heards men are bound with diligence faith and care to cherish their flocke and with that affection that they defend them from al peril of rauine for the which they are to giue accompt to their Masters as if they were their owne And therefore to the sicke they ought to applie remedie and giuing strength to the weake not to abandon the worst from their eye perpetual care to the end they may vaunt with Jacob to haue ben good heardes men wherein pastors Ecclesiasticall are here aduertised spiritually touching their pastorall office for whose cause I haue adioyned this little addicion and so leaue them to the consideration of their high fuÌ„ction in the lesson giuen to good common heards men ¶ All other estates are comprehended in those that haue bene already debated the explication of the qualeties of persons Chapter j. AL other vocations are contayned vnder those that haue bene already debated So that if any other estate seperate as Embassadour Orator or other of infinit profession as messengers intelligencers interpretors or spies with others of that rate woulde know how farre their offices stretch according to the Scripture they shall find them comprehended in the former estates aboue all other things the Embassadour being the faithfull substitute of his Prince or coÌ„mon weale ought not to reueale the secrets of his legation whereby eyther the affaires of his Prince maye be hindred or aduauntage giuen to the forreine Magistrate he ought not for his glory profite or pleasure to practise any extraordinary innouatioÌ„ or be inuested in any estate to the disaduauÌ„tage of them from whom he is sent For which act Hermolaus Barbarus a man of great knowledge Embassadour for the Venetians with the Pope taking the patriarchship of Aquilea was publikely condemned by the Senat in the losse and depriuation of the priuilege and Burgeship of Venice and had it not ben for the credit merit of his former seruice ioyned with the diligent intercession of the Pope he had bene in dauÌ„ger of capitall sentence By this as it were by the waye may be warned our preachers the Embassadors of the liuing God neither to say or doe any thing in Gods name further then the coÌ„mission of his word will beare nor to hope for or take any presents of spirituall promocion eyther to corrupt or tempt theÌ„ to disguise the truth couering the apparant vices of their benefactors against whom God commaundes them to speake boldly vppon paine of his iudgements not to hold their peace as doth the dogge which forbeareth to barke when his mouth is filled with meate Touching the Orator I maye send him to the office of the aduocate for the conueniencie that is in those two estates Betwene whom this is onely the difference that the aduocate alleageth onely the lawes for such affaires as may be decided by them the Christian Orator decks his matter with eloquent phrase prosecutes it by popular reasons by arguments sometimes very likely and most often necessary iustefieth his proofes by histories aswell holy as prophane to perswade his purpose and enforce his causes of coniecture whereof in the law can be raised no certaine proofe The aduocate and he reason both to one end as to defend the iust and accuse condemne the euill doer perswading in thinges honest profitable and necessary whither touching the Church or temporall estate The spie is as a faithfull and wise seruant of his Prince or Captaine that vseth him of which estate he ought to make no conscience being assured that the war wherin hee is employed is iust as being proclaimed thorow the kyngdome as a matter of consent by the Prince his counsell and graue estates and signified to the enemy So are Josua Caleb and others sent to espie the land of Canaan authorised by Moyses of whom if the rest had bene of the like fayth and courage as were Josua and Caleb so many miseries had not falne vppon the Israelites There resteth now to treat vppon only the qualities or diuers fortunes as the saying is of men that is to saye riche and poore ouer and be sides that we haue alredy touched of them in the Chapter of hospitalls reléeuing the pore togither with the qualities of the learned and ignorant men that be good and such as are of worsse sort these qualities we finde in all estats trades and vocations some riche and some pore or partâ—y rich if they be conferred w such as are extreamly pore or halfe pore if they be measured with them that excéede in wealth so may we iudge of the other qualities wherin afore we discend to discribe amplie the dutie of the riche and pore we may note three thinges by the waye the first is the riches is no honorable preheminence nor makes not an estate of dignitie therfore let not the riche man by any credite or reputation of his wealth aspier to honor or dignitie aboue others nor others attribute more to him then to the simple honest pore in regard of his aboundance wherin certayne Christians euen in the primatiue Churche reteining yet the error which they had being Pagans bearing more honor to the riche then to the pore the common fault of the world were greuously rebuked by Saint James charging them in the crime of acception of persones with vnrighteous doing wrong to God and to the pore for God sayeth he estemes asmuche the iuste pore man as the riche yea he séemes to beare more fauour to the pore adopting them the heirs of his Kingdome which he giueth to such as loue him Saint James also rebukes the honor that is giuen to richemen in great assemblies for the only respect and name of
that happen in the world they are alreadie well proued to discend directly from God and not by any prouidence of fortune as the Epicuriens and Atheists of our time beleue nor fatally according to the opinion of the infidels togither with the Astrologians who attribute all to their aspects constellations oppositions and reuolutions of starres and much lesse according to the philosophicall perswasion of the Phisitions bringing in the alterations and corruption of Elements and naturall bodies not raising vp their spirites to the consideration of the deuine prouidence that the soule gouernes not better all the parts of our humane body then the great God rules measures this huge world not suffring the least herb or plant to moue or grow without feeling his vertue and power Nor little bird to fall vppon the branch of any trée without the prouidence and will of that omnipotent mouer of all things nor lastly the least haire of our head which is not kept in reckoning by him The Phisitions or later Philosophers do oftentimes beguile themselues by the second causes as making them the imediat or first causes of any euill that hapneth which is a kind of infidelitie not fixing their iudgmeÌ„ts but on things which they see as when the South wind hot and moyst hath blowne much most commonly in a yere when ponds lakes and fennes are corrupted when in a dearth of vittailes people are constrayned to eate vnseasonable meates when the ayre is close and giues out an euill seat when the winter contrary to his nature is hot and sootie when many vile and vememous beastes engender vppon the earth and caterpillers frogges and other vermine fall out of the ayre when such signes appeare the Phisitions say they are the cause of plague sicknes not considering that GOD vseth these second causes ordeyned by his prouidence as instruments and manifest signes of the same prouidence that for this reason By those signes he giues warning to the world that he prepareth to execute his iustice vppon people nations and by these foretokens inuites and aduertiseth men to fall to submission and supplication for pardon to the end he thunder not suddenly his ful indignatioÌ„ rigor vppon sinnes A child séeing his father prepare rods and bindes them shake them in his hand hath to thinke that he hath offended the time of his scourging draweth neare and therfore in feare teares humilitie he ought to fall prostrate afore the knées of his father as we haue afore aduised By these meanes sayth Joel what know we if God of nature good and reconcileable to our vices wil be conuerted and aforde grace at the least he will not condemne our soules if with a changed harte we performe action of penance when the Prince by long counsell and aduise causeth to be erected in many publike places of his Realmes great scaffoldes gibbets and the instruments of torment such as haue offended the law haue no meane to flée what other thing can they thinke of this preparation then a resolute purpose of the Prince to execute smarting iustice vppon them great is their present feare but farre greater the griefe displeasure which they ought to haue of their offences ought they not to call into practise all meanes seruing for their deliuery yea if they tary till they be led to the scaffold their haÌ„ds and feete bound with other attires of high offenders being ready to be offred to the execution there is small hope or expectation of mercie let them go themselues with their halters about their neckes and taking their best frieÌ„ds to solicit in their intercession to the Prince let them discouer true effects of contricion and imploring the frée mercy of the Prince let theÌ„ offer restitution to the parties offended and better obedience and behauior here after in them selues so shall they with Dauid not suffer the vtter most rigor of iustice or els auoid it altogither as the Jsraelites escaped it in the time of Jonathas the Niniuits also by their seuere woÌ„derful penaÌ„ce eueÌ„ so al these second causes are but signes instruments of Gods iustice tokens preparations and fore shewes as according to the examples of the rodds skafoldes and gibbets by the which he declares his anger and disposicion to punish sin The semblance that is made the preparation and the rod as they are no causes of gods iustice but it is for the punishment of our sinnes that execution is so aparantly prepared So after such shewes and warnings doeth not the Father begin to scourge his sonne Doth he lay aside the rod afore he sée the amendment of his sonne or at least some hope that he will coreâ—t him selfe and not returne eftsoones to his naughtines The childe can not accuse the rod as the cause of his scourging much lesse the trée where it was gotten and least of all his father that layd one the lashes But entring in to the vew and iudgment of his owne life let him accuse himselfe and saye that his sinne is the first cause of the euill that he suffereth For if he had done well because the lawe is not to punish the iuste he had not feared that rod as in déed to speak properly he feareth it not though he haue offended but feares his father which holdes it in his hand since the rod can do him no harme if he be reconsiled to his father ¶ To remedie all euils the causes must be taken away the discrtion and wisdome requisite there vnto Chapter viij I Would we were as good Philosophers touching our faith as Phisicions be in their medicines and phisick Then would we apply as good spiritual cures against sinne as by them are ministred temporall remedies to heale and preserue bodies from diseases They assone as they deserne the second causes of a sicknes apply present prouision to the place where they remaine they minister purgations to kepe bodies from corruption by euill humors they cause the stréets and straight corners of the towne to be clensed lest the ayer congeale infectioÌ„ they make fiers abroad to mortefie and purge euill smells and within howses disperse and strew perfumes They prescribe sobrietie and forbid excesse they banish all vnsauerie meates bringe in abstinence from cohabitacion they apoynt Methredat and other preseruatiues and giue order to weare Rue and other strong hearbs proper against the Plague In like sort if we vsed spirituall meanes to kéepe vs from euill doing we should with the fact of sinne auoid also the perills miseries that are brought with it yea if assone as we deserned the second causes threatning signes of the vengance of God we would purge our selues of all wicked affections and vices not suffer in our commoÌ„ weale impunitie of sinne but performe one holy and generall conuertion and conuersation according to christianitie we should not only tourne away the hand of God from vs but eftsones restablish his gracious
none shoulde be receiued into the degrées of Doctours without proofe of so long time studie after he be admitted to the state of Maister of Arte wherein if they haue not studied seriuslye or haue aspired to the degrees by fraud and supposition of witnesses or if they haue conuerted to other exercise the time that shoulde haue béen reserued to searche out that knowledge they committed wrong chiefly to God with whom it is not lawfull for any to enter into degrée and aucthoritie to teache if hée be not expert in all his Lawe To this may be ioyned the prouidence of the elders by whom it was ordeyned that in this case none shoulde employ time in other studie then in the Scriptures to the ende that beyng resolute in that knowledge the worlde shoulde not bée led in errours and false doctrines It were therefore a good order to be obserued in Vniuersities and places of congregation not to sende any young Preachers or Nouises into the countrey before they haue expressed their doctrine afore the auncientes and multitude of the religion that in the same exposition wherin they must teache their congregation abroade neither adding nor diminishing when they shall preache to the multitude For other wayes there were daunger that without this long custome or diligent exercise of priuate preaching these young prentises woulde deliuer to their audience suttle and false propositions which we call either vaine doctrines or heretical although they helde them without any wicked or peruerse wyll Besides hauing once pronounced them they woulde be ashamed to renounce them and so the people in the meane while should stand seduced And if they do renownce them the multitude woulde not afterwarde beléeue them easily because in opinion they woulde holde that they were constrayned to denie them as we reade that Berengarius was not able to reduce those whom he had seduced by ignorance So that as there woulde be alwayes feare of some errour so it coulde not be without blasphemie to the trueth of the Scripture to suppose in place of the same a falsehood and that in the Pulpit which being the seate of trueth such as are appointed to pronounce it ought to haue knowledge of good iudgement great wisedome perfect vnderstanding and holy affection pretending no other ende or purpose but the honour of God and health of soules without aspiring to particuler glorie séeing all glorie is due to God Let them beare no affection to couetousnesse and much lesse to please men but studie and preach to edifie forbearing for malice to any singuler person to exhibite bityng inuectiues in generall speache and lesse against estates Here when we speake of Preachers who ought to be such in all perfection of excellencie we meane Curates and Pastours which by the charge and duetie of their Pastorall profession are actuallye bounde to discharge that estate For as all other Preachers are but their Vicars so if it belong to the Curate to be no lesse learned then his Vicar is it not then contrary to all order and reason that he shoulde be raised into estate and dignitie aboue others if he expresse not greater perfections as in wisedome doctrine experience and vertue Why is the head raysed aboue the other members of the body but because he is endued with more excellencies of nature I wishe that none shoulde make practise of this profession without knowledge of all the Scripture and absolute interpretation of the holy Doctours which if it had béen obserued in the first institution the Church had béen replenished with learned and feruent Pastours Neither had the worlde swarmed with these newe opinions if they had well studied and obserued the Doctours of the Church This reformation also belonges to such as enter into the exercise of the lawes and all others that aspire to offices for the function of which belonges singuler knowledge to vnderstande the lawe and mainteyne it in all Courtes and not to lose anye lawfull cause by ignoraunce or for not being resolute in the Lawe in which default or if by corruption the equitie of a good cause be confounded the Lawyer is bounde to iust restitution ⧠God hath erected Phisicke and vvilleth that the Phisition be honoured but that vve vnderstande that all sicknesse comes of him and therefore vvoulde haue vs to aske health of him and to pourge our consciences of sinne Abuse of Phisitions vvith counsell hovve to kepe vs from diseases ⧠The .10 Chapter LYke as the Almightie as the wise man saith hath created Phisicke for necessitie the same appearing in so manye sortes of Hearbes Plantes and medicional Droages together with manye other things profitable to preserue and restore health wherein there is a dignitie and honour to the Phisition as the Minister of the same highe God So wée are tyed also to this further consideration that séeing our diseases for the most part and most often deriue congruentlye of our sinnes it is requisite with the aduise of the Booke of Wisedome to offer our selues to God in prayer and penaunce for remission of our sinnes to the ende Phisicke maye succede to good profite in his vs For if the cause of our sicknesse remaine stil in state and nature the arte and indeuour of the Phisition bringes forth no other effect then an increase and innouation of infirmityes and doeth profite no more then the Surgeon who thinketh by Plasters to heale an Vlcer within the body which hath already corrupted and putrified the boanes The same being the cause why in olde time men called first vpon the spirituall Phisition in confessing and receyuing Iesus Christ Much more ought wée to repose in God then in the phisition with prayer that hee dispose vertue into the Medicine for the Cure of our diseases If wée pronounce blessing and Grace vppon the meate which wée eate euery day and sanctify it by the word of God why should wée not reserue the same deuoute reuerence speciallye where the matter is of more great and necessary importaunce Ochosias in his sicknes hauing recourse more to his phisitions and supposed Gods then to the God of almightye power was tolde by Helizeus that hée should dye Aza suffering paine in his feete whiche grewe to a goute put confidence in Phisitions and neuer demaunded Cure of God whereby hee coulde not bée healed And albeit the phisition hath power ouer such diseases as haue theyr naturall causes as such as come eyther by Surfet of meate and drinke or superfluety of distemper Yet if God bée offended let the patient offer reconcilement by repentaunce and demaunde cure of him But where immediatly God sendes the disease it is in vaine to apply Phisicke without there bée first a reconsilemēt as is expressed in the sicknes of Ezechias So that in al infirmities let vs first haue our recourse to God and then resort to the indeuour and art of the phisition Like as also in such as bée true Christian Phisitions and vnderstand the counsel of God it is
not worthy of the eternall glory which he hopes for in Heauen wherof hée assureth him selfe for that by how much hée endureth afflictions heare in earth by so much is his glory layd vp the greater and he made more happy in heauen in which consideration onely S. Paul toke comfort in perplexityes Torments Extreme miseryes and in the Crosse wherin hée reioysed more spiritually as al the other Saints did then the fleshly men in all theyr banquets pleasures and idle delights of the world Let therfore the Christian pacient after the due action of penaunce submission for his faultes reioyce him selfe in his sicknes with singing of psalmes and holye himnes hauing also instruments of musicke whervnto hée maye sing deuout Notes or haue them song in his presence to raise his heart and spirite into spirituall ioye in the Lord in which sort S. Paul willeth men to dispose theyr pastimes of the worlde as also S. Iames in all euents and dollerous accidents counselles men to relieue theyr hearts with the solace of Psalmes vsing in cases of sicknes and times of aduersity with the example of S. Augustine when hée was sicke the conference of Bookes of consolation and spiritual Doctrines vsing the company of Learned men for his better assistaunce in so holy discourse sparing to ouercharge his minde with doutes and difficulties but rather to recreate it with familiar textes by the which his faith maye bee entertained and his loue to God increased with desire to bée ioyned to him and hope to enioye his euerlasting glorye But the sickeman whose conscience testifyeth against him as hauing his life embrued with dissolutiō in place of this musicke and comfortable ioye which hée can not haue because it is onely to holye men let him washe the remembrance of his life past with penitent teares and recorde his sinnes to God with vehemencye of prayer for mercye and pardon and taking his sicknes as an officer or messenger to sommon him to appeare afore the eternall iudgement let him prepare to sue for grace afore he bée presented afore the burning Throane sith afterwarde there is no remission Wherin the better to acknowledge his offence to God let him vse satisfaction to his neyghbour and doo the dutye of a true penitent Christian But now to knit vp eftsones with the matter of the Phisitions who in many partes of Christendome are worse disposed then those whome wée named before as being readye ministers eyther for hate or couetousnes fauour or hyre to murder and sell the liues of theyr miserable pacients by horrible meanes too familiar in the world now a dayes to whose vnnaturall treasons I account the tormentes of hell to bée but a due iustice O lamentable corruption of our time whē euen there where wée laye vp the confidence of our lyues wée finde murder with infidelyty and where with the breath of hope of comfort and securitye wée drinke vp the sirope of poyson prepared by the handes of the creator to the kinde of man There is an other sort in whome is litle difference of sinne from the others who geuing counsell to deuide the bodye into straunge fleshe to cure a disease do nothing els then with the title of wretched bawdrye damne many soules in the filthye suddes of the fleshe where there is prouidence by infinite remeedyes to pourge all suche vicious humours Thus they abuse the arte which being a gift of God they become vnfaithfull and vnthankefull ministers against his honour will and commaundement offending God more then they who by theyr counsell commit suche wicked actes Suche also as kéepe patientes long on theyr handes and Surgeons who for gaine and practise nourishe long time Vlcers Woundes and Apostumes as in theyr doing is expressed an imitacion of Théeues so what can they deserue lesse then the reward of that crime Lastly I wishe bothe the one and the other to treade in the steppes of certaine deuoute and good Phisitions who will not medle with the cure of the body afore they haue first prepared a purgation to the soule and muche lesse will minister any thing to the pleasure of the body against the health of the Soule but both the one and the other in sociable vnitye of frendship making alwayes the seruaunt obey his Ladye and Mistresse in humble and reasonable subiection ¶ The Second booke ¶ Iudges and gouernours of common VVeales haue of God many seuere commaundements in the Scriptures to exhibite iustice by rightful lavves vvherin as they are threatened of God if they faile so because they shall not erre the fourme hovve to Iudge is prescribed them God so being set afore them in imitacion of Judgements vvhich he doeth vvhich by reason they ought to doe because as he is of him selfe iust and his iudgementes righteous yea iustice it selfe so they are his liefetenauntes ordeyned of him to administer his iustice vvherein because they shal not be fearefull to exercise theyr estate he promiseth them his asistaunce Jf they be fearefull they deserue not to be Judges because in suche a seruice of his hee vvill haue no faint hearted ministers The .1 Chapter FOr that in Regiment of common Weales according to God the christiā Magistrates neyther may nor can erre in the executiō of their charges they haue in the scripture the cōmaundements of the Lord whose lieftenants they are yea often Reiterated with straite seuere charge faithfully to Gouerne his people with Lawful and righteous iudgements wherof as hee geueth them a forme by such as hee exerciseth vppon his people so if they proceede by imitacion of so perfect an example they ought not nor cannot bring forth faulte or errour of good iustice speciallye if they obserue those Lawes by the which hée declareth his true and vpright iudgement in iustifying the innocentes correcting and condemning the guiltie exhorting the yll liuer to reformation in teaching the Doctrines of vertue to the ignoraunte and lastly in distributing to euery one according to the rate and measure of his desert The lawes which hée will haue vs to follow bée first ordinaunces of him selfe which hee expresseth to vs in the scripture I meane as well morall as diuine and eternall whereof wée will speake heareafter the others are they which wée call natural and humaine grounded vppon the same conteyning honesty or Publike profit or altogeather By these foundacions and causes wée maye affirme the humaine lawes to bee Lawfull and directly cōmaunded by Iesus Christ by the declaration of Saint Peter and S. Paul. in the obedience to Caesar and other Magistrates to the whiche obedience wée must necessarylye ioyne the Lawes by them ordeyned And for the more vpright direction of gouernors I wil recite the expresse commaundement of God concerning their Estate of Iudging and by the scripture laye afore them in what sort they ought to kepe them from corruption of iustice and how many miseries ensue the tract of false iudgements beséeching them in the name of God whose Delegates they
reserued for them in the fornace of hell ¶ In humane thinges Magistrates ought to follow the lawe naturall and in causes deuine the Doctrine of faith and the loue of God It vvas necessary that God by his Scripture reneued the lavve naturall for it vvas darkened by sinne and the lavve of faith and of loue deuine vvas altogeather vnknovven vvithout the doctrine of God according to both the one and other lavve the Magistrate maye make ordinaunces so that they tende to the confirmacion of the same or haue a likenes vvith them The .3 Chapter GOuernors of common weales thus raysed to a state of diuine honor by the which they haue the title of Gods as hath béene recited in the former Booke the better to enhable them to this deuine office peculiar and proper to God which is to iudge rather in wisedome discrecion and perfection let them imitate God who iudgeth perfectly without errour then folowe man in whose nature is propertye of errour and with his perticular reason oftentimes bringes forthe actes contrarye to reason Let them also at all times folowe one rule deuine certaine and infallible which shall leade them in a deuine course and exercise of theyr estate Let them haue alwayes in theyr hande for the managing of humane and ciuill affaires the lawe natuturall I meane the lawe general proponed by the scripture making it their Loadestone to direct infallibly the state of all their doinges That is the lawe wherunto euen Iesus Christ sendes vs in all common and humane actions meaning wée shall not doo to others that which wée would not haue done to vs as withall Let vs doo to others what wée woulde haue done to our selues whereof the Gospel geueth this interpretation Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Vpon this foundacion al Lawes customes and constitucions ciuill and humane so farre forth as they bée good and iust are grounded But if there bee any ordinaunce wherin is not conteyned this precept of the Lawe naturall or agréeing therewith I meane in affayres concerning onely the profit and benefite of men it can not but holde of iniquitye So that it behoueth that it comprehende something necessarye to the socyetye of man profitable and honest lyke as the Lawe ought not to bée made to geue fauour to pleasure or bring hurt to any one and muche lesse to suffer dishonour or villanye to bée done Thus the Lawe naturall in her generall foundation being in this sort aucthorised by the holye Scripture standes to vs as a rule for al ordinaunces in causes concerning humane gouernement But touching the faith the loue and seruice whiche wée owe to God in thinges deuine and spiritual wée haue an other lawe the foundacion of al holy deuine ordinances I am thy God c. which is thou shalt loue thy God with al thy hart with all thy vnderstanding with al thy soule and with al thy strength which commaundement Saint Paul includes in the natural loue towardes our neyghbour as in déede a man can neuer loue well his neighbour but that it is for the loue of God as the cause formal and effectual of the other friendship And this law was no lesse natural then the other imprinted in the hearts of the fyrst men But the corruption of nature vaine opinions and wicked manners haue so strongly peruerted the iudgement of men that God sawe a necessitye being indused by his mercy to reueale to man this lawe yea reuealed him selfe for men knew him not and muche lesse loued him Thus this first lawe was cleane defaced whiche was easely séene touching the lawe to our neighbour for that there were not many men in the world in whome was desire to doo pleasure to others without recompence of asmuch or more benefite but natures for the most part bearing inclinations to enemities vsuries quarelles pertialityes factions warres with other infinite cōspiracies raised mutually of one man against another And consernyng faith knowledge loue of God all men had declined and erred by extreame transgression wherfore God gaue eftsones these preceptes and the explication of the same by diuers documentes for theyr better vnderstanding and according to the same hath erected many lawes and ordinaunces tending to those twoo endes I meane to vnderstand and kéepe those twoo commaundementes Touching faith hée hath reuealed it to vs expounded and caused it to bée expounded by his prophetes and Apostles and according to the same wée haue also statutes and Lawes reduced into twelfe Articles of the Creede euen as the workes whiche wée ought to doo in charitye and loue of God are comprehended in the ten commaundementes So that sith gouernours ought neuer to erre in iudgement it is méete that they iudge according to these twoo lawes And séeing there can be no others but eyther they haue affinitye with the Pagans or are replenished with iniustice and impietie there is great necessity that these bée thorowlye studied And so loking with déepe iudgement into the lawe of nature they may erect ordinaunces tending to the sayd thrée endes necessity vtility and honestye being all concluded in one generall whiche is the common wealth they maye also ordaine paines for the transgressors by the conformety of those which they sée conteined in the lawes receiued and accustomed in al Christendome euen so in the lawe of the loue of God they maye also make statutes to induce men and leade them to that loue and if any haue lost it A thing happening by sinne they maye make ordinaunces of reconcilement according to the precedent of the auncients by the exhortacion of the Prophetes as to fast and assemble at Prayers which was vsed in the time of the Iudges of Hester the Niniuites and Machabees without expresse commaundement of God. ¶ Men may vse the morral Lawes of the olde Testament but not the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall applied to the times and maners of the Jevves vvhich Iesus Christ and also Saint Paul doeth confyrme These vvere natural and therefore ought to bee eternall notvvithstanding for charitye to our neyghbour and loue of God and for aduauncement of faith that lavve sometimes is not to bee vsed at the time vvhen men do greatest seruice to God vvhich then is an acte of perfection The vvise man can not faile to Judge vell according to the lavve of nature The .4 Chapter BVT because it maye bee asked of some whether magistrates may iudge according to the deuine Lawes of the olde Testament séeing the Lawe of Moyses was abolished by Iesus Christ The lawe saith Saint Luke and the Prophetes led man no further then vntill the time of Saint Iohn Baptist And as the lawe of nature before Moyses conteynes not but certaine examples of Iustice so the lawe of the Gospell medling not with Pollitike ordinaunces entreates onelye of mercye as is séene in the grace which Iesus Christ shewed to the adulterour Go thy wayes sayeth hee and sinne no more And touching humaine lawes it séemes that men ought not
to stay altogeather vpon them for that the most part were erected of Infidelles whose reason was darkned with infidelitye and certaine of them expresly against our faith séeme to deserue no more aucthoritye or credite and lesse to bée receyued then theyr Idolatries that is to saye oblations done to their Gods In this we haue to answere twoo obiectes very harde to resolue if wée consider the simple reasōs of some who séeking to absolue christians from al lawes say that they are not subiect therunto by Iesus Christ and that the spirite of God is our Father who if wée doubte will instruct vs and reueale all that shal be necessary to our saluation Besides S. Paul willeth that the wise christian bée iudge without hauing regarde to lawe I confesse that the lawe of Moyses touching Ceremonies and sacrifices signifying the state of the new Testament for Christ in that is the ende of the lawe yea touching the statutes of the law applied to the times and maners of the Iewishe nation is abolished as the libell repudiatorye of the wyfe But touching commaundements moral conteining instruction of good maners correcting sinne with punishment much lesse that the lawe is abolished but it is confirmed by the Gospel Christ saith Al such as haue taken vp the sworde to strike and kill shall perishe with the sworde which the lawe doeth also teache wée know the lawe is good but let vs vnderstande and apply it to lawful vse Saint Paul sayeth that the lawe that punisheth is not ordained for the Iust but to bridle the rebell vniust wicked sedicious murderers of parentes whether hée meane of Moyses Lawe which punisheth all these sinnes or comprehend al the lawe in generall grounded vpon the foundacions whiche we haue recyted before it is inough that wée declare that all doctrine of vertue whether it bée in the lawe of Moyses or in Philosophie is good and holye so farre forth as it raiseth and recompenseth vertue detesteth sinne and condemneth al vice for which cause the Philosopher sayth that reward and paine be the forces and strengthes of the lawe In déede this doctrine is not simplye deriued of Moyses lawe but it is natural and therfore Saint Paul saith that the Gentiles people without all vnderstanding of Moyses Lawe but liued by theyr reason wel instructed albeit they had no law yet did they naturally the things conteyned in the lawe whose examples as they doo well declare that the worke of the lawe was written in their hearts by the accusations defences of their cōsciences So in this S. Paul expresseth aptly that al doctrines moral pollitike contained in the Law of Moyses bée connaturall to man engraued in him euen from his first birth by that deuine creation wherein the soule receyuing the figure similitude of god hath taken this excellent grace to knowe that which is of her exemplary patrone from whom shée is portrated by exercise of the spirite in the studie of learning with a continual heauēlye inspiration assisting ioyned with integritye of good life hath béen and is remaining in such as were not vnder the Lawe of Moyses such wée maye saye as were Iethro Iob and many great Philosophers who knewe God spake deuinelie of him and of vertues and vices Therfore as that Doctrine is in some sorte deuine by his originall as procéeding from that deuine caract imprinted by God in man which is the spirite reason and iudgement So the holy scripture yea the scripture of the Gospel hath aucthorised it to bée perfectly deuine so by the same scripture where it was darkned before by corruptions happening by ignorance of God and dissolutiō of life it is made perfect in that wherein it had imperfection and so it is not onely restored by Iesus Christ reformed by his spirite which hée hath geuen vs But with abundance of grace science augmented yea euen vnto such knowledge as now we behold the glory light of the Lord with open face and be transformed from light to light that is from perfect knowledge such as may bée had in the world into the selfe image yea euen to be made one in God by a deuine transformation the same being wrought by the spirit of this good soueraigne lord Therfore al the moral doctrines of the olde Testament be acknowledged reputed by man from the first and eternal obseruacion according to the which lawes haue béene wil be alwayes ordeined obserued of the faithful people And where Iesus Christ sent backe the adulterer without punishment of the Lawe wee confesse that albeit he came to preache penaunce geue grace to penitent sinners yet for al that he hath not abolished pollitike Lawes which wickedlye was layd against him by Iulian the Apostate But hath conserued them by his doctrine and examples willing to giue to Caesar that which belonged to him wherein him selfe shewed obedience to the Ciuil Lawes in paying tribute to Caesar although he was not subiect therunto Hée which was the supreame lawmaker and sonne of God his Apostles also taught that men must obey Kinges Princes gouernours which obedience is necessarily ioyned with the lawes for how farre shal I obey them if I know not the rate state of theyr commaundement nor what they prescribe me to do So that my obedience must encline to the limit prescript of their Lawes which I ought not resist so farforth as they are established vpon such foundations as we haue laid before Iesus christ in asking where were those that condemned the adulterer did not hinder or defend that he should not be stooned But he being not come to take vpon him the state of a Ciuil Iudge condemneth not according to the sentence of ciuil lawes tendring caring alwaies for the principal which was to saue soules and touching body goodes he leaueth the gouernment pollecie therof to Kings temporal Princes theyr iudges to whom he geues aucthority to debate execute punishments in that he saith He that hath murdred or killed shal die the trée that bringeth forth no fruit deserues to be cut down cast in the fire and who doth wrong sclander to the litleones ought to be cast into the sea with a milstone about his necke Approuing with paines he approueth also the Iudges executours of the same hée chaseth out of the temple marchauntes buiers and sellers hée biddes excōmunicate the rebellious wrong doers and by S. Paul condemnes many pernicious Christians to the deuill hée willed Saint Peter to execute a maruailous sentence against Saphirus and Ananias who fell dead at his feete for doubling with the holy ghost promising to geue all theyr goodes to the poore and distributed but a part reseruing the other by an vnfaithfull feare to suffer necessitye It is true that being afore Infidels hee woulde not haue vs to vse or appeale to iustice in cases to suffer for the faith
God and as it were to deface him Besides man being the headde and ende of the workes of God for whome all thinges were created and subsist and for whose restitution God toke vpon him the qualety of man shedding his Blood in the same to whome the Aungelles serue in earth as his ministers and for whome God hath prepared so excellent a kingdome in heauen what offence then doeth the murderer to committe slaughter on a creature so dearelye estéemed of God and so artificiallye made that neyther the heauen the earth nor all the perticular creatures in them can not holde comparison with that incomprehensible workmanship hée that shoulde breake the Image or feiture of a King or raze or plucke downe one of his Castles which hée had erected with great pompe coste yea if the King had employed the life of his proper sonne to make it vp againe after it bee destroied would the King euer receiue this man into grace it is not therefore without cause that in the scripture there is neuer grace graunted to the murderer it is also forbidden to take the price of blood vniustlye spilt meaning that in the Iudge is no power to consent that the Parents of the dead should sell the death of him that was murdered but that life should bee rendered for life neyther doo I thinke that there had béene any paine sufficient to punish the effusion of blood if it had not beene ruled by the Lawe seeing that in true equitie it can not bée possible to satisfye so vile an acte yea though the partie endured straite and long fasting to praye incessantly to God to distribute all his goodes for Gods sake put on héere cloathe to suffer harde lodging and passe in effect thorowe euery pang and passion of a Martyre That is no satisfaction where restitucion is not made with the like who hath power to geue life in exchaunge for lyfe what iust recompence can bée offered to the parentes for the slaughter of theyr Childe or howe can the Sonne bee satisfied for the death of his Parentes euen so in other murders there can bée no iust satisfaction and muche lesse any equalitye So that if for razing or burning a materiall temple or sometimes a common house the offendour suffereth iustlye the torment of the fyre howe shoulde hée escape who pulleth downe to the earth the true and spirituall temple of God and his sacred house Dauid by whom was wrought the death of his Capitaine Vrias coulde neuer haue pardon of God notwithstanding his great penaunce in continuall teares wherewith hée sayde hée watered and bathed euerye night his couche before hée had proued infinite miseries and his sonne conceiued in adulterye dead Yea knowing the lawe to bée inuiolable hée would not graunt Pardon to the murderer Ioab his great Constable notwithstanding the merite of his many seruices and being the onelye meane by the which hée recouered his Kingdome so well did hee know the indignation that God bare to sette murder and suche as by malice spill blood which cryeth on earth continuall vengeance afore God against the murderer and against the Iudge that delaieth sharpe and spéedy iustice yea also against the inhabitauntes of the place if they bée carelesse to procure seuere punishment this is also one argument that the effucion of blood is of great displeasure with God for that who so killeth another by chaunce being frée from malice farre from any moode of grudge must of necessity withdrawe him selfe into a Toune of refuge assured by the lawe there to remaine vntil the death of the great Priest otherwaies there is no suretie of his life From thence comes the custome of our time to sue to the Prince for grace in cases of such murders For much lesse that the lawe geues pardon to the Traiterous or malicious murderer seeing shée giues power and commaundement to kill him yea euen afore the high Aulter of the Temple The Lawe forbidding murders and distributing as hath béene sayd seuere punishmentes hath also a meaning to restraine and defend the causes motions propratiues to such sinnes as iniuryes choller 's inimities wicked cousayls false reports detractiōs diffamations enuies desire of reuenge couetousnesse debates quarels factions warres The which causes for that they were not wel vnderstoode in the lawe Christ toucheth expresseth some of them when he saith vvho is angrye vvith his brother vvithout cause is vvorthy of condemnation but more hée the speakes an iniury to him thirdly who with the hart of an enemy accomplisheth the iniurie if hée that calles his brother or neighbor foole bée of hel what punishmēts are due to contencions detractiōs vniust violences if he that beareth hate to his brother in his heart bée a murderer afore God expressing this damnable grudge by outward signes by which the magistrate may bée induced to certainty of iudgement is he not bound to put in execution the sentence of the scripture specially if they bée propratiues to the murder such as séeme to geue apparant motion to the facte But if the doctrine of god were rightly preached vnderstoode how could there bee any assault or acte of murder when euen to bée angry hate or speake euil of our neighbor brings with it the paine of eternal damnation Let vs loue one another yea beare such affectiō to our enemies as to die for them according to the example of Iesus Christ who loued prayed and did many benefits and dyed also euen for his enemies ¶ Diuers punishmentes of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kindes of the same sinne ¶ The .8 Chapter THE thirde commaundement forbiddes whordom of what kind soeuer it be fornicatiō which wée call simple as betwéene a man a woman not maried hath béene alwaies in the law of nature condemned to the fire as witnesseth Iudas who condemned Thamar his moare being accused of whoredome aftershée had béene the Widdowe of twoo of the dead Children of Iudas by succession of death as the Lawe and custome of that tyme did beare yea hée had committed her to the fire if hee had not béene guiltie in the fact In the law of Moyses if the Daughter had defiled the house of her Father with actes of lust and that hée knewe of it shee was stoned to death with her whoremonger yea if she cryed not out in open voyce in what place soeuer the violence was vsed shée dyed by the Lawe and her rauisher also the most excusable fornication was condemned to infamye and gréeuous correction of fines Moyses forbadde that there shoulde bee no whoore nor stewes and in respect of the grauetye of that sinne the lawe receyued the offering of a whoore no otherwaies then as money for the sale of a dogge In the new testament such whoredoms are pronounced worthy of eternal death then nothing lesse doo they merite corporall death according to God Christ sayeth They do transforme and defile a man and Saint
Paul in many places pronounceth them abhominable before God the same agréeing with common experience wherein wée sée that in no Synne is more power of beastialitye ouer man nor more draweth him into thraledome yea it kéepes him in more subiection then the Wine that makes him Droncke or the King that commaundes him The Wise man sayeth that as Wine and Women doo make men Apostates and to abuse theyr honourable profession so all sinne is without man sauing this whiche corruptes effeminates defiles and dishonoureth euerye parte of the man yea it pollutes the sacred Temple of GOD and bringes to passe that the holye members of IESVS Christe are made infected members of a Whoore If the Lawe did so expreslye forbydde that there shoulde bée no whore in Israel which countreye was but a shadowe of Christendome and that the paine was no lesse then death Why should it be endured amongst Christians who being most cleare and holy by that holy and deuine profession ought to expresse as great power of perfection as the light hath ouer darknesse there is no sinne which bringes to man more miseries blindnesse and beastlynesse nor by whose occasion more controuersies and murders do rise if it did onely but make man lose the reputation of his honour and libertie of his minde that extreme wretchednesse ought to make it hatefull much more then is it detestable by howe much it leades him into the destruction of his soule which is the principall Besides that the sinne is monstrous to lose the séede which GOD hath ordeyned for the generation of man so precious in nature yea if there be encrease of children what shame and dishonour followeth their foule procreation and to howe many vices are they subiect for the contempt which the worlde hath of them in their education If then so generall slaunder hang ouer all Christendome by fornication if it make Realmes subiect to reproches of forreine Nations if in it be nourished the occasion of euyll doyng by wicked examples so manye secrete murders of Infantes without Baptisme and the enforced deliuerie of wretched maydes to auoyde sclaunder of the worlde If lastlye vnder the winges of fornication be hatched the Egges and broode of so many diuisions questions controuersies murders and warres why should there be sufferaunce of whoredome so reprobate and condemned and the onely Nurse of all miseries happening to Nations and men were it not better to condemne it to death or at the least to ioyne it to such gréeuous paynes that there might be no further wyll to followe such allurement the miserable cause of all wretched deathes Here if any wyl obiect the example and custome of the Gentils who to entertayne their pleasures in their brothell places helde opinion that man and woman consenting to suche Acte did no wrong to any séeing hauing libertie they stoode also in power to do what they woulde Let them be aunswered with this text of S. Paul Do you not knowe that you are not of your selues but that you are redeemed with a great price vvhich is the blood of Iesus Christe therfore glorifie God and carye him both in your bodies and in your spirites for so doth it appertaine to him the body was not made to play the whoremonger but to serue God who in the resurrection wyll geue it an immortall glory where some may obiect that the sinne is naturall I confesse it as touching a nature corrupted which beyng the more daungerous ought so much the more to be eschewed and corrected So much may be sayde also af naturall choller procéeding of nature vicious and so of all other vices but by the grace of Iesus Christ that vicious or corrupt nature by studie and exercise of doctrine may be reformed and by vertue chaunged by force tamed so by constraint brought to God. Socrates confessed that the Philosophie of Zophyrus was true as who saye his iudgemente by naturall coniecture vpon the lineaments of his body pronounced him to be a great whoremonger which being reprehended in Zophyrus by Socrates friendes he tolde them that Zophyrus had not iudged amisse as touching his inclination but Philosophie made him another man so that when it is sayd that this sinne is common throughout the worlde we must conclude that there is no feare of God no exercise of true doctrine nor any vse of vertue no not so much as Moral by the which thinges the Philosophers Gentiles eschewed sinnes and wonne the reputation of honest people Let vs feare that the worlde be not fallen into the like estate of wretchednesse as when God powred the generall flood ouer all the earth that as the Scripture saith All fleshe had corrupted his vvay meaning that man euen from his youth ranged after the delyte of his fleshly pleasure the same being one signe of the ende of the worlde wherein S. Paul saith that men shal be more louers of them selues then of god Let these terrors be warnings to vs to correct our vnbridled lustes after filthy and fowle pleasures Let youth restraine their inclination by good discipline continuall labours and perpetuall study of vertue Let them learne to beare the Yoke of the Lorde from the beginning mortifiyng their passions and frayle desires by meditation of death and the iudgement of god Let Parentes according to the counsell of Chrisostome rather vse a ripe care in oportunitie to mary their children then to leaue them in the handes of daunger to offende God and damne their Soules ⧠Continuaunce of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes ⧠The .9 Chapter TOuching Incestes amongest néere Parentes or with religious women or rauishmentes of maydes the Law hath alwayes condempned them to death The Positiue Lawe hath alwayes iudged worthye of the fire Inceste with the maides cōsecrated to god At Rome the Vestal Virgines Pagans beyng defiled with Inceste were buryed quicke and so dyed miserablie The auncient Church receiued not the incestuous religious man or woman to the Communion vntyl death In all times the lawe of nature hath condemned adulterie to extreame punishment Pharao and Abimelech iudged it one of the greatest sinnes that coulde be as by whose occasion death did not onely followe such as had commited it but also it drewe infinite miseries vppon houses Courtes and Kingdomes Amongst the Hebrues the offendour was stoned to death At Rome by the Cornelian Lawe it was lawfull to kyll the adulterer without reprehension and also for a man to refuse his wife for the suspicion of that vice euen as for the sinne beyng notorious and prooued the Christian may dissolue mariage touching cohabitation In many places men cut of the nose of the adulterer and sometimes the eares as in Egypt they pluckt out both the eyes of Locres that was the cause why Zalence King of that people pulled out owne of his owne eyes and another from his sonne who was taken with the acte which he did to accomplishe the Law notwithstanding the importunitie of
his people to dispence with his son To be short there was neuer Nation so barbarous which did not punishe adulterie by death or at least heauie paynes And therefore it is an indulgencie very cryminall afore God that there is no common punishment to this detestable sinne to the which by all reason is no lesse due and merite of gréeuous paynes then to the Théefe whereof this furthereth the proofe that besides the grauitie which we find in fornication there be foure things greatly enforcing the enormitie of the Acte First it is cōmitted against the thrée essentiall partes of mariage as faith linage and Sacrament The faith which was geuen in this Mariage is broken which bringes periurie and by the ordinaunce of the Lawe the periurer ought to die the othe was made solemnly in the Church vnder inuocation of the name of God And the contract of faith and the othe made betwéene the parties aucthorised by the Priest and approoued by all the Churche as a signe of mutuall fidelitie signified by the King geuen vpon the Maryage day Linage is hindered by a commixture of the seede of the Husband and whoremonger or at least it is vncertaine to whom it appertayneth What certaintie hath the adulterous woman of her children whether they be her husbandes or her whoremongers And in this vncertainty and doubt what conscience can she haue to nourishe them at she charges of her Husbande and suffer them to put on the habite of his lawfull heires If she knowe it is not her theft the more And if hanging be a Lawe to Théeues what execution to such people There is also a Sacrament as S. Paul calleth it in Iesus Christe and the Churche which is a signe of the inseparable coniunction of the Lorde with the Church whom he hath maryed in faith and hath geuen him selfe wholly to her and become one fleshe with her in receiuing her into communitie of all his benefites with promise neuer to abandon her the Church hauyng lykewise promised him to cleaue to him and remaine firme in his faith lawe and obedience without taking other Lorde or Religion but his Euen in the like maner man and woman marying together make publike protestation to follow this holy coniunction in the faith and vertue whereof they receiue grace and sanctification in their Maryage and so protesting to liue together in all vnion of holynesse chaste and perpetuall societie according to the inuiolable example of Iesus Christe and the Church What great impietie is commited when they defile this Sacrament Is it not a prophaning of sanctification which is one of the sinnes against the first Table And if it be not a kinde of Heresie to adulterate and corrupt a holy thing at least if they beléeue not the mystery conteyned vnder this Sacrament it can not be but infidelitie so that if a Christian prophaner of a Sacrament an heretique or an Infidel deserue paynes of death what is due to the adulterer by whom it is thus depraued Besides the periurie of faith and hinderaunce which he geues to procreation by the vncertaine commixture of straunge séede there is in this vice a perpetuall grudge and resolucion to do murther either of the Husbandes part to whom the wrong is done or on the wiues behalfe by whom is endured the iniurie of her Husbande or by the rauisher whom gelousie enableth to all bloody actes Many are the slaunders prodigall expenses theftes Rauins and other inconueniences which come by adulterie but more murthers then by fornication I speake not here of Sodomitry with other beastlynesse so abhominable before God and man that the earth ought not to beare so infamous mōstrous actes Bawdes in the auncient church for the vilenesse of their profession notwithstanding their perpetuall penaunce coulde neuer obtayne admission to the holy Communion so great indignitie did the olde fathers impute to those wicked sellers of Christian flesh If he that selleth the seruaunt or handmayde of another meriteth condemnation of death how much more haynous is his desert who entertayneth a lust after the daughter or wife of the Father of a family Here must not be forgot that with the acte it selfe is forbidden all causes moouing or entertayning whoredome as gluttonie dronkennesse idlenesse wordes lookes gestures vnchaste writinges and féelings dissolute and indecent daunces and superfluous riche ornamentes with other such like sturring to wantonnesse which causes most often are no lesse mortall then the effectes that followe them Kepe you from gluttonie dronkennesse and cares of this world saith Christ S. Paul reseruing no porcion of Gods kingdome to drunkardes biddes vs not to bée drunke with Wine where is superfluitie and dissolucion And to the dronkarde guiltie in vicious actes the Philosophers of the auncient time iudged double punishment as S. Paul besides their depriuation from the kingdome of heauen pronounceth them worthy of excommunication ⧠Theft was not punished in the Lawe but by restitucion of double treble and foure folde yea and seruitude but novve for iust causes it is punished vvith death Theft by necessitie in some sort excusable in the prohibition of theft the causes are also contained By this commaundement it is defended to take avvay the honour of another False vvitnesse is more vnlavvfull then theft neither hath it any grace in the Lavve All deceiuers hypocrites and lyars are condemned by these last preceptes ⧠The .10 Chapter THE fourth commaundement of the seconde Table is Thou shalt not steale the transgression whereof in the Law of Moyses was not punished with death but by restitution of double treble and sometime foure folde And in whom was no abilitie of restitution they were condemned to perpetuall seruitude till the wrong was satisfied by iust seruice publike theft as robberie violent theft and murther were condemned to death in the Lawe wherein was no excuse of pouertie as had simple picking whereunto was ioyned no custome but mooued of malicious wyll and affection But because those simple theftes supported with this charitable fauour rose to the state of high and noble robberies they became after by wise aduise subiect to the sentence of the Gybbet Wherein also this was one consyderation that who embeaselleth the goodes of another séemeth by consequence of the euyll that many times happeneth to take away also his life The bread of the needie saith the wise man is the life of the poore and who beguileth them of it is a bloody man He that taketh away the bread that hath béene gayned with the sweate of labour is as the man that kylleth his neighbour whereby may be concluded that the blood spyller and he that deceiueth another are brethren as séeming to haue an affinitie of euyll the same beyng eftsones confirmed by a notable text of the sayde wise man that who offereth vp his sacrifice compounded of the substance of the poore cōmits no lesse offence thē he that afore the eyes of the father killeth his proper sonne So that
much it is an instrument to sow discord among brethrē This cryme of false witnesse can haue no excuse as hath theft nor stayeth not vppon one poynt certaine to do wrong but sometyme it rauisheth a mans goodes sometimes deuoureth his life most often endangereth his honor wherein if in the acte of one of these thrée euyls is sufficient cause of death howe much more is he wretched in whom they all thrée concurre with equall power Salomon compareth it to a Dart a Sworde and to Arrowes as if he shoulde attribute no lesse euyll to it then a wicked man may do with those thrée instrumentes Besides all this he contemneth the Iudge and derides his iudgement and by consequent both God and his iustice beléeuing as an Atheist either that there is no God which vnderstandes his falshood and not punish it or not fearing him stands in carelesse state and defieth him in what he can do against him and so is a contemner and prophaner of Iustice and of him which administreth it in the name of the Soueraigne Iudge the same being a sinne against the first Table in this case The false witnesse is adiured ordinarily in the name of God to speake the trueth and therefore is periured wherein he committes eftsones a crime most damnable for which cause Salomon saith often times that much lesse that he shall escape vnpunished but that he shall perishe miserablie the same falling vpon the two olde Iudges of Israel who falsely deposed against Susanna Therefore gouernours of common weales haue great reason to search diligētly after such plagues and to restraine all pardon and grace from such wretched offendours The wise man saith that if false witnesse bearers were but simplie in the case of lyers théeues they had alredie inherited perdicion much more then in so great cōcurse of offences do they iustly deserue seuere punishment No lesse iustice is due also to their subornors inducing them to lye to periure them selues and depose falsly to the domage of another the like also to all falsefiers with counterfaite stampes signes and seales of Princes or priuate men corrupt Notaries making false contractes caryers of vntrue reportes and lyes to be short the like iustice is due to all other working falshood either by worde writing actes subornation or supposition whether it be in case of doctrine or life Such as deceiue by faire wordes as flatterers by faigned promises as abusers by scoffes as Maskers and Cosoners with other Pharisées Ypocrites and false Prophetes being the children of Satan the great father of lyes and shifting ought to passe vnder rigorous punishment For such falshoodes are not onely preiudiciall to our neighbour but also do derogate for the most part the diuine honour for that God being the trueth it selfe is by lyes and falshood falsified and dishonoured either through ignoraunce of God or for want of his feare which is a kinde of infidelitie ¶ There is a double lust or vnlawfull couetousnesse forbidden vs as the vvife daughter or handemayde of our neighbour by the vvhich is forbidden all fleshly lust and the desire of the vvealth honour and life of any man this couetousnesse is the cause of all sinnes and the resistaunce of it is a counter defence against all sinnes to our neighbour meanes to resist it and not to suffer to seede any roote of sinne for by litle and litle it grovves great and becomes desperate against all remedies The .11 Chapter THE twoo last commaundements forbid concupiscence whiche without this prohibition many woulde haue thought to bée no sinne and are as preseruatiues of the other former which be Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wyfe nor couet his house his fielde his seruant his maide his Oxe his Asse nor any thing that is his I call them with good reason preseruatiues séeing God in them forbiddes vs all lust aswell after women pleasures with Gluttony as the desyre of other mens goodes in gréedines In the same is forbidden al coueuetousnesse of Estates honours and dignityes by ambition presumption and glorye and no lesse the thyrste after another mannes life by hate enuye or Auarice Wherein we are expreslie commaunded to beare desire and will to doo pleasure and seruice to our neighbour by the contraye defence to haue no affection or disposition to hurt him This wicked lust is the principall roote and first cause in the corruption of nature to make vs Whoremongers to become théeues to commit murder to enter into false testimony and to be stained with all other vices So that as when the Lawe stoppes the conduittes of these common offences against our neyghbour shée foreseeth that the vices rising therupon ouerflowe no more the worlde So if the first societye comprehended in this lust or thirst after glorye and pride were as well chained that shée issued not out of her vncleane channell whiche is our nature corrupte in Adam restrained by the first commaundements aswell of the first as second Table by the which man is taught to humble and make him selfe nothing before God expressyng the same humility in obedient heart and wyll to such as haue fatherly rule in a common weale there should be no more ouerwening ambition vaine glory nor presumption causes of so many intollerable euylles enuyroning the worlde And hauing remedies in these first commaundements such as God hath prouided for vs we must not fayle to arme our selues therewith and refraine to do the thing wherwith he may be offended The remedyes are fayth holy doctrine continuall prayer and assistaunce of the holy spirite inspiryng into our heartes secrete mocions to do well together with diligent exercise of vertue and studie of moral and pollitike disciplines by the which we are enterteyned Ciuilly in a state of common duetie towardes our neighbours and common weale Let therefore gouernours of common weales vse prouidence that of these originall springs there issue out no infect or corrupt ryuers which then comes best to passe when diligence is most applyed to youth to exercise them in good doctrine loue to vertue the better to entertaine those graces which they haue receiued in their first renouatiō by faith baptime For as it is a thing easie that a Tree notwithstanding in her first nature she be wylde and sauage yet beyng well griffed doth bring foorth and deliuer to her labourer good and swéete fruites with continuaunce of the same fertilitie being relieued at the roote and often lycoured euen so it is easie to a Christian when he is griffed and renued in Iesus Christ by baptisme where he hath taken the holy Ghost the aucthour of euery good worke to bloome in good wyll florish in doctrine fructifie in all good workes the roote of that trée being holy spirituall diuine taking her norriture of the worde of God and which Trée is made liuely by the holy spirite augmented fortified enterteyned by the sacraments specially by the sacrament of the Communion which is
by so much are they slowe in pittie but as men resolued whollye in forgetfulnesse of GOD they reioyce they laugh they sing at their Tables and passe their time in enterchaunge of wanton companies If this abuse be reprooued vnto them they aunswere Malencollye is hurtfull to their health not remembring the warning of Iesus Christe against them O wretchednesse saith he vppon you that laugh for you shall wéepe and lamente And miserye also vpon you O ye riche men which take your pleasures here and haue your consolations And no lesse vnhappye are all your others which fyll your bellyes for you shall endure eternall hunger In this are most to be reprehended Magistrates and gouernours to whose prouidence are committed so many poore people in their common weale that haue so manye desolate soules to comfort kepe so many sorowfull persons in delay of iustice and yet wil geue them neither hope in their causes nor helpe in their necessities And as they stande guiltye in the same vice with those intemperate sort if they correct not their conuersation with fines paynes and punish their bodyes to whom the Scripture pronounceth malediction Euen so they stande subiect to fall with them but much more gréeuouslye if they vse not diligence to take away the cause of this wretchednesse At Rome in the time of the Pagans there was a Law coherciue against excessiue and extraordinary expenses Much more then in the common wealth of Christendome should there be Statutes and seuere cohercions against superfluities and damnable delytes Let those epicures and belly gods of this worlde looke vp to the warning of Iesus Christ and prediction of Iob. They leade saith he their liues in good cheare and pleasures and vpon the point of death they fall into hell The riche man in the Gospell is not punished but because he helde sumptuous feastes put on gorgeous attire and despised the poore And when in hell he cryeth to refresh his tongue with one drop of water Abraham aunswered him My sonne thou hast receiued in thy lyfe thy benefites meanyng thou hast had richesse thou hast taken thy pleasures and made great cheare and this Lazarus felt nothing but miseries therfore content thy selfe thou canst not haue thy felicities twise neither he his perplexities againe Who in life tastes of pleasure after death shall be recompensed with displeasure as of the contrarye for him that suffreth euil for the honor of God is laid vp in heauen euerlasting good Other gluttons dronkards in general haue their sentence to be shut out of the kingdome of God wherein to auoide tediousnes I will not nowe medle with the examples of miseries hapned to glottons as to the Sodomites Israelites Holofernes to al which the sinne of epicurity brought miserable death Heare may bée resolued the question of some whether it bée lawfull to make banquets and whether they may be made to Ritche men wheren is to be considered that if the ende bée good and grounded vppon some office of Ciuill honestye they are not reproued Abraham made a godly banquet the same day his sōne was wained or taken from the nourse but it was an invitement to thanke God with his houshold friends for geuing him a sonne in his olde age Lot banqueted Angels whome hée tooke to bée certaine poore passangers Isaac banqueted with Abimilech for confederation of amity Ioseph congratulated the cōming of his Brethren with a sumptuous feast expressing only his feruent and natural loue to them The scripture geues much mention of Banquets Mariages and feastes of Kings such as were made on the solempne daies of sacrifices to God into the which were receiued the poore Leuites or ministers of the Temple other needy people as also in the new Testament speciallye on those daies when the communion was ministred the poore with the rest for the societye of christian Loue being made partakers of the Banquet whereof it tooke the name Agape that is charitye Christ him selfe was often at Banquets Mariages But whosoeuer made banquets to maintaine gluttony for which S. Iames reproues the Ritchmen of his time or for vaine glorye they haue theyr share with the wicked Ritche man in the Gospell in the tormentes of hell Touching mockers and scoffers let them thinke they are in the warning of Salomon That as their sinne is gréeuous so the iudgementes of God are prepared for them For séeing they ought to loue theyr neighbour as them selues they ought not onelye to bée sorye for the faulte which they reprehend and scoffe at in another but to haue compassion of it to correct it and to pray to God for him that hath the errour Repulse them farre from you sayeth the wise man for in them is nourished the causes of many contencions and therfore besides their condemnacion they shal be sure to be scoffed of others for that Gods iustice keepes his course ⧠Scoffers and men of pleasaunt conceyte pretending none other ende but to encrease pleasure are rebukeable But more if their I esting turne to the reproche of any so do they offend God Hovve vvee are bounde to employe our time It is not forbidden for all that to recreate our selues for honest purposes nor to vse our pastime and pleasure ⧠The .4 Chapter LET Scoffers and the vaine conceyted sort commonlye called pleasaunt men practising to make others laugh liue in pleasure not thinke they are without rebuke In whom albeit séemes no purpose of hurt to any yet the ende tending to the scorne of another can not bée without sinne and therefore suche pastime cannot auoide the due blame of vice Saint Paul reproueth them when hée willeth that there bée no fornication nor vncleannes nor couetousnesse named amongst them as is conuenient beséeming to holines And much lesse that there bée villany cloaked with fond speache or slenting contrarye to ciuill modestye which ought to be farre remoued from christians whose exercise standes in geuing thankes to God praising him and speaking of him employing the time also in discourse of thinges profitable good honest and tending to edifye the company Iesus Christ calleth this scoffing meaning idle wordes whereof there is reckoning to bée geuen in the iudgement of God speache vnprofitable time lost And as by S. Paul wée are warned to vse no talke but suche as maye serue and apply to edifye our neighbour So our tongue was consecrated of god by baptisme not to be emploied to other vses then to forme deuout speaches the handes to minister holy workes all the other members to be disposed to actes of goodnes acccording to theyr office for being dedicated to God to prophane thē in thinges worldlye vile filthy and vicious were as a detestable sacrileage impiety farre more greater then the prophanation which Balthasar vsed of the vessels of the temple of Salomon wherwith he banqueted his Cōcubines féeling therfore a sodaine terrible iudgement of God the night folowing And
wickedlye employed where woulde not bée séene the hundreth part of such prouidence if there were question to releeue the extreeme necessitye of the poore How many yong men returne from thence enflamed to whoredome howe many Maides cōming thither with chast hearts are séene to returne with corrupt wil euen ready to put it to effect if the occasiō offered what man hath béen euer so much profited by them who in his conscience returned not in worse estate then when hée went To be short how often is the Maiestie of God offended in those twoo or thrée howres that those Playes endure both by wicked wordes and blasphemye impudent Iestures doubtfull sclaunders vnchaste songes and also by corruption of the willes of the Players and the assistauntes Let no man obiect heare that by these publike Plaies many forbeare to doo euill for feare to bee publikely reprehēded for whiche cause it is sayde they were tollerated in Rome where euen the Emperours were touched though they were there in presence For it maye bée aunswered first that in such disguised Plaiers geuen ouer to all sortes of dissolucion is not found a wil to do good séeing they care for nothing lesse then vertue Secondlye that is not the meane to correct sinne for that if it be secréete it ought not to bee reuealed but reformed by suche meanes as Iesus Christ alloweth in his Gospell and if it be publike why is it not punished by the Magistrate why doth not the Bishop rebuke it publikely and excommunicate the partye if hee protest not open penaunce wherein in defaulte of the Bishoppe or if the offence bée Ciuill the officers of the Prince ought to pursue the correction being for suche purposes speciallye instituted where suche as are reprooued vpon the Stage much lesse that they are made better but of the contrarye with theyr custome and styll continuaunce in vices they ryse into perpetual grudge against the aucthors of theyr sclaunders ceassing not to followe vice for al theyr crying vpon the scaffolde no more then the Wolues leaue to rauishe the Shéepe notwithstanding the hewe and crye of the shéepheard If they haue habilitye to bée reuenged they will omitte no oportunitye wherein occasion maye bée geuen Yea sometimes they ioyne them selues to the report of the Players vaunting with shameles impudencye that they would al others to bee as they are which is truely witnessed in the examples of Nero Domitian Heliogobalus and others who by so much more increased in wickednes by how much they vnderstoode theyr vices were spoken of séeking to geue to theyr vices the estimation of great vertues they raised to great dignityes such as would follow and applaude theyr euil doinges But according to Christianity we ought not to scoffe at the vices of another but to shewe compassion praye to God for him that erreth applying correction by such meanes as wée may which if it bring forth no fruite to his amendment at the least let vs with Samuel weepe for the vices of Saul and pray to God for pardon for him Charitye sayth the Scripture couereth faultes neither reuealeth nor reioyseth in them no more then the natural amitie of the humane bodye suffreth that one member put out to publike showe an apostume which is in any part of the rest of the body if it bée already in the outward parts shée couereth it by such meanes as shée can that it appeare not ignominiouslye If Libels of diffamation bée punished with rigorous paine why should publike sclanders on scaffoldes escape the sentence where euery eare is open frée liberty of iudgement Heare I reprooue not the Plaies of scollers in actions of comedies tragedies cōmon and Christian wherein is exercise of morral doctrines much lesse of the historye of the Bible exhibited for good instructions exhortacions to vertue and by the which they are prepared to a boldnes of speache in all honorable assemblies enhabling their tongues to readye and wel disposed eloquence Such plaies are farre from merit of blame specially if they hold no comixture with the superstitions of the Gentiles nor othes by the Gods Goddesses which oftē times is performed in the name of Iupiter pertake nothing with the lasciuious iestures mirth of the Pagans More praise worthy are the Plaies of scollers if in theyr declamations they ascribe rebuke to vice geue praise to vertue contending alwaies in the cōtrouersy of learning as by disputacion compositiō I speake not heare perticularly of the Players commonly called Legerdemeners and Sticke List for that I haue comprehēded them amongst the Iuglers But if they vse the art Magick Diabolical as many do illuding the sence whilest they play aswel they as their assistaunts deserue correction as Infidels because they take pleasure in that which comes from the inuentiō and art of Satan Let them remember that S. Paul in Corinth burned the bookes of such as had written of things curious vaine and tending to actes of Pastime who if he made great flames of fire of their Magicke bookes where the Deuil is presēt to do maruailous actes what is to be ascribed to such nowe a dayes by whom they are put in vse and practised to the furtherāce of hurtful purposes And as he called the Magicien barn an enemy of iustice vessel of deceit sonne of the Deuil So by his example let our polletike Magistrates roote vp such cōmon enemies least the licour of theyr vessel being confected by Satan ronne thorowe their Citie to the poyson of theyr simple communaltie ⧠Idlenes is a vice most common bringing with it most other offences and yet no conscience made of it An ausvvere to suche as saye they haue inoughe and haue no neede to trauaile A declaration to the Magistrates and Churchmen shovving hovve aboue all others they ought to bee more vigilaunt and painefull in their vocations ⧠The .8 Chapter ONE of the most common vices from whom most other euils errors are deriued is idlenes a vice general folowing Plaies Pastimes riotes and vnprofitable ease of which as the most sort make small conscience so with some it séemes no vice at al as being so popular and plausible that many trauaile to settle theyr estate and laye vp theyr life in that ease or rather perpetuall Idlenes ascribing happines to those that can enioy it to their delite and pleasure That it is a great vice it is certaine by the text of Ezechiel who calles it iniquity the cause properly of the ruine of Sodom and Gomorre scourge of the Israelites It is iniquitye because it is against the Lawe deuine ordinaunce by the which it is sayde to man Thou shalt eate thy bread with the sweate of thy browes As who saye so muche shalt thou trauaile al the daies of thy life in the labours of thy profession or arte that thou shalt take in hand as thou shalt sweate to gaine thy liuing wherein as by this law al
men are condemned for sinne so it behoueth euerye one howe Ritche so euer he bée or what power or principalitye so euer he possesse to obeye the lawe and this ordinaunce otherwaies he is a transgressour of the lawe and punishable as an offendur it is therfore that S. Paul teacheth that all men ought to trauaile condemning the loyterour not to bée worthy to liue and with all excōmunicates al idle people calling them disordered because they are not in the order polletike where all the worlde according to theyr perticular vocation doth trauaile and none is founde vnprofitable euen as in the natural body which suffereth no part or member to be Idle but all seruing an vse in their body do trauaile in their humane functions If no man bée excommunicated but for some great crime séeing Saint Paul excommunicated Idle people they can not be but very criminal God hath ordained labour as a penaunce to man and to be to him as a remembraunce of the wretchednes which sinne bringeth an exercise to kéepe him in vertue and a meane to traine him to humility and dutye according to the arte whereunto hée is called by the which his spirite is drawn from wicked thoughts corrupt affections and reprobate desires wherwith the Idle man is continuallye vexed For this cause S. Ierome biddes vs bée doing alwaies some worke to the ende the Deuil may finde vs occupied Besides this moderate labour is very profitable to the health of the body without the which by crudity and indigestion of humours retaining the excrements many diseases may bréede And therfore who wil not bende his body to labour should in the consideration of these reasons commit great faultes against God against him selfe against his common weale wherunto hée is bound with al his meane and power For as according to the resemblance before there is no member in the humane bodye which trauailes not according to the facultye of his nature and office to geue ayde to the general bodye and euery member in perticular which otherwayes would fal into infirmitye yea if it should perseuere without geuing succors and bréede hurt by contagion it should bée cut of from the body not onely as vnprofitable but as a corruptor of the other members so what lesse office belonges to the member of this body polletike Deserueth hée not that which S. Paul geues to the idle Thessalonians to bée cut of and excluded from Christian society And if Iesus Christ condemne an idle worde that is bringing no profite to our neighbour to the iudgement of God what sentence may bée geuen of suche as not onelye liue in idle wordes but loase theyr precious time and omitting innumerable good déedes stand idle vnprofitable euen in their proper vocation If any wil saye that in this idlenes men offende not for that they doo but walke talke sléepe make méerye passe the time without doing euil to any hauing withall whereupon to liue without trauaile it maye bée denyed for the first part of the aunswere that they cannot but doo euill for that as suche lyfe and Pastimes are reprooued and that in all times and for all our workes and wordes wée are bounde to geue accoumpt to God. So it is not inough to abstaine from doing euill but wée must also without ceassing bée exercised in doing good according to the Scripture So that the Ritche man must not say I haue inough and néede not take paine Nor the Gentleman must not vaunte of his great reuenues say hée hath no further care but to passe his time in hunting and other delites Nor let the Bishop and Churchman excuse him selfe of trauaile for that his liuing is plentifull and prepared to his handes For euery man is bounde to followe his vocation and walke as Saint Paul sayth according to the same Hée must not sléepe then in that vocation if his office bée to trauaile and that with as great diligence as he maye euen no lesse then belonges to him that hath vndertaken for some necessary affaires to make some painefull iourney Let suche people whome God hath blessed with suche wealthe as to maintaine theyr life there is no necessitye of labour consider why they were raysed to such Ritch estates who the more they haue the greater reckoning haue they to make to God are subiect to more déedes of charitye then others In this I bind not al sorts of men to a dutye of trauaile with the hand in workes of labour But as there be diuerse sorts of trauailes some of the minde and some of the body So to some kindes of labor is required sometimes the strayning of the bodye and sometime the exercise of the minde The Ritch man hath his part of trauaile to direct his affaires kéepe his seruantes in office wherin let him with Abraham seeke out in the high wayes poore passangers about his house his néedy neighbors imparting vnto them of his goodes geuen him by God for that ende The Gentleman hath inough to prouide for the quiet of his Tenauntes that they consume not one another with sutes and to defend them from the oppression of the théefe or enemye hée ought to bée to them as a shéephearde to his flocke whose office is not onelye to defend them from the Iawes of the Wolfe but also so to leade them as they doo no hurt to the seuerall Féeldes of another But in warre the Gentleman is bounde for the publike defence of his Countrey to commit his person to hazarde So that whether in peace or in warre the Gentleman hauing due regarde to the discharge of his office and estate hath no leasure to leade or loase his time in Idlenes What belongeth then to the Magistrate Polletike who likewise is a pastour of his people to guide them ciuilly by counsell to kéepe them according to the Lawe to defende them with his aucthoritye and vse such prouidence as they bée not molested But much more yea most of all it belongeth to the spirituall pastour of Soules the churchman of what order soeuer he bée to bée vigelaunt in his estate as hauing in charge farre more precious thinges then the others of a greater perrill if he loase them for in loosing one Soule being so deare to Christ as he gaue his life for it he loseth also his owne and can not bée saued if onelye one bée spilt thorow his default Right straitely therefore is he bound to pray incessauntly to preache diligently and to show holy conuersation in his office who if he lose many soules eyther by his example or through his false Doctrine or by negligence in his duty incurreth horrible damtion for that in losing a Soule hée suffereth to bée lost and spilt the blood of Iesus Christ Thus as there is no man who notwithstanding his sufficiencye of wealthe hath not occasion to trauaile more then others whome necessitye enforceth to paynes for theyr reléefe so the more hée is bounde to God for his wealthe by
and agréeable to God For the which the auncient Macedonians were so liberall that they gaue not onlye one part of their goodes but also offred themselues as S. Paule writeth Let them search out the auncient debtes due to hospitals and let such as are indebted therin be compelled in that which they are bounde to pay for the goods they holde of their auncestors yea let themselues in recompence of the wrong they haue donne in times past to the poore and for the honour of God say with Zacheas to Iesus Christ that for penaunce he will satisfie such to whome he was bounde I will gyue sayth he the halfe of all my goodes to the poore and if I haue deceyued anye manne I will restore it fourefold which if they doe not let them not thinke that they stande in other state afore GOD then as men accused of theft robbery and murder yea the counsell of Carthage calleth them murderers of the poore And thus Gouernours hauing prouided that the reuenue be sufficient for the poore passengers and vnhable people lette the hable passengers after two or thrée dayes repose and harbor haue their leaue to depart and the impotent vexed with sickenesse be furnished of Phisitians and pothicaries for the cure of their diseases which being recouered to auoyde ydlenesse let them be recontinued to trauell and labour for their liuing But in case of defect by imbecillytie of nature or iniquity of time let gouernours measure the reléefe of such according to the hability of their persons and by their owne charitable discretion and if there be any who either by impotency of limmes or imbecilyty of age can not get their sufficient sustenaunce let their good willes be fauored and their defectes supplied of the common store applying the olde women to the labor of the spindle according to the meane they haue to worke vpon Al impotents of nature as such as are vexed with the paulsey others who being restrayned in mēbers are vnhable to labor blindmen all suffring defects of body ought to be norished wholy of the almes yet the blind are not so fully excusable but they may be applied to something for that in many of them god hath raised supplies of vertues wisdom as to Dydimus And séeing such as are lame may aptly ynough suffice to leade the blynde it cannot be but contrary to good order to apply stoute and able beggers to that office in whome is capacity to trauell in their trade Such as are lame only of their féete and legges haue yet an vse of their handes eyther with the néedle or such like instrument and such as are onelye dombe are not vnfite for all that to labour Touching poore children whose insufficiencye of age makes them vnhable to gaine their necessarye sustenaunce it cannot but be a worke of great compassion to apply them to learning in a colledge vnder the instruction of some good scoolemaster by whose industry and helpe of gods spirite they may ryse in time to be members seruiceable to their common weales such as haue no disposition to studye may be applyed to other sciences according to the rate and measure of their capacities Touching poore maydes wée haue before recommended them to the honorable and vertuous dames of euery Citye whome we beséech eftsones for Gods cause to take to themselues a charge and office of so singuler pyety ¶ Generall and speciall recommendation for prisoners and that for debtes vve ought not lightly to imprison one another The .7 Chapter TOuching poore prisoners we recommende them to the publike and perticuler almes Amongst whome such as are skilfull in anye occupation are vnprofitable in prison where they doe nothing but sorrow their estate time in ydlenesse and therefore if there be no iust reasons to dispatche their causes it were good they were applied to the exercise of their arte and so sustaine themselues by their owne meane rather then to consume themselues and goods of others in heauie ydlenesse But touching the riche sorte that hold the poore imprisoned for debt let them remember what Esay pronounceth against them great néede haue they saith he to fast and pray that so aflyct their poore debters holding as it were their féete vpon their neckes they hauing not charitie shall not doe a woorke pleasing to God to deserue grace and shall not be hearde in their peticions which they shall make in their aduersitie vnloose sayth he the bandes of impiety shake of the burdens which charge thée with auarice Let go such as are broken with perplexities and restore them to their libertie dissolue and shake of all burdens breake thy breade to the hungrye and make enter into thy house people néedy such as haue no place of retraite when thou séest a naked man couer him and despise not thy flesh And when thou hast done all this thy light shall shine out as the morning visibly euen vntill it be spéedely brought into perfite light but sooner shall thy helth come to passe as if he hadde sayd if thou be sicke God will restore thy helth sooner then thou darest hope for it And thy iustice that is thy liberalitie shall go before thy face meaning shall be presented afore god Then shalt thou call vppon God and hée will receyue thy petitions Thou shalt crye to him and hée will aunswere thée I am heare to ayde thee Therefore let not the riche disquiet or oppresse theyr néedye debtours but let them vse Charitie and attende tyll they haue better commodity to satisfye theyr debt yea if the debtor being extreame poore haue not wherevpon to lyue the Ritche creditour ought to forgeue his debt franckelye as hée is bounde to ayde other poore in necessitye without expectacion of profite from them so shall they in better truth obserue the Lordes prayer where they desire God to forgiue them their debtes wherein they stande bounde to him as they remit the trespasses of others which are their subiects whether they be wronges or common debts But where the poore debtor hath barely whervpon and yet no other meane to satisfie vnlesse he sell his landes houses or other small goodes at little price there it is good reason the creditor ioyne himselfe to respite and attende a better commodity of the debtor who laboreth to search paiment for him yea let the poore debtor rather recompence the losse which the creditor maye sustaine for lacke of payment by the vpright iudgment and consience of honest men the same being the interest which is called iust tollerable amongst all interestes ciuill But if it excéede this it is damnable vsury forbidden amongst the Iewes who ought to liue as brethren much more then amongst the christians in whom God hath expressed a spirite of more charity and compassion vsury was tollerated of the Iewes to the Pagans as well for the hate of ydolatry as bycause the countries of the next Pagans appertayned to them and therefore they made it lawfull to praye
teacheth and naturall iudgement that we ought to bee instructed euen from our youth For as the mind as Aristotle saieth is as a table wherevpon nothing is written nor painted and so of our owne nature we can doe nothing but thinke euill speake and doe euill so reason is none other thing in vs then a little sparke of light yet so darkned in our obscure nature that it cā no more guide vs to marche in the darknes of this worlde then a little snoffe of a candell showing darkly in a lanterne dymmed with durt or other filthines is able to giue vs light to passe in suretie through darke and daungerous places it may be aptly resembled to a flashe of lightening in the night which when it showeth vppon the earth gyues a certayne glymse of light but very short leauing afterward the traueling man in greater darknesse not knowing which way to take euen so when our reason hath aduertised vs of that which is good being presently occupied with the affections and dark passions in vs striues not valiauntly to repulse and dissolue them by her naturall light being of her selfe of too great infirmities but yéeldes to them as soone as shée is surprised leauing vs in greater perplexities of oure obscure mynd then we felt afore Whereupon as wée may cōclude that reason without doctrine is as a spark quickly quenched hauing no more power in a man to do well then a body hath meane to trauell without a minde So to the end we stomble not vppon error and vice it is necessary we haue a perpetuall cleare burning lighte of mynde which is doctrine and holy erudition For the same difference that we finde betwéene light and darknes doth Salomon set betwéene the wiseman and the foole or the ignorant Chryste calles the ignorant blind who if they vndertake to leade others fall altogither in the ditch wherein is signified the extremitie of errors whereunto do runne headlong all such as haue not true science It is sayd in the law that for the infirmitie of this reason and naturall deprauation men ought not to do what séemed good to their iudgement and mind but must raise their regarde to that which God commaundeth specially in matters concerning Religion for in things naturall and ciuill there was more libertie Then seeing children are corrupte as Quintilianus saith before they can goe being norisshed in delites rather then vnderstand them and loue the vices which they learne in the pallaices of their parents afore they haue ability to iudge of them such is their infection euen from their first education and norture thei stand need of rate and measure and to be corrected euen from their cradle We sayed before that doctrine chaungeth the mind and makes it fructifie for which cause the scripture compares it to the good séede which as with good tylthe bringes foorth good fruite so without it the best groundes would rather yéelde thistles and thornes then graine of profit as happeneth in often experience by the best kinde of corne which diligently sowne but in common grounde tournes oftentymes into poppel and light graine either by the fault of the ground the tyme or the laborer So there is great néede that with the doctrine and good institution of youth there be suffered no corruption of manners We sée the grounde without tilling and séede bringes forth of it selfe naturally and without art ill hearbes wéedes much more would our nature produce vices and néedeth no instructor to doe euill where vertues come by force of instruction and labor aswell of the maisters as disciples For hauing in our selues but certain seminaries or as litle matches which we must kindle by force of blowing applying matter to entertayne the fire if we will make any So we must suffer this nature of ours to be qualified and fashioned by doctrine and labor as we sée fyer striken out of the flinte by the instrument of stéele ¶ Continuance of the said comparisons Chapter vij THE Philosophers estéemed a man without learning as a slaue that doth all his actions by force where the learned hath a liberall agilitie to all vertuous doings they compared the man without Science to a beast accompting him not worthy to be called a man reasonable of whom one of the greatest glories is to vse reason which he can not do if he haue not Science For which cause Solō the Law reader of Athens iudged not the naturall father worthy of honour and obedience of his child if he instructed not his youth in learning and exercised his tender yeares in vertuous conuersation which opinion albeit is condemned of the Scripture which enioynes to children straite charge of dutie loue reuerence and seruice to their parents Yet so great faultes of Fathers and Mothers by the iust iudgement of God deserue no dutie at all in their children hauing onely receiued of them generation fleshly noriture without goo◠struction for which end God specially blessed them with children And often doth it happen that such children without discipline dishonour their houses destroy great families and by displeasure procure death to their parents to hasten their succession yea they are troublous sedicious and ruines of good cōmon weales And when they come to the scaffolde the last pause to the gibbot they dissemble not but crie with mayne voyce that if their Fathers had made them familiar with correction and discipline they had ben farre from those miseries Truth and dicipline sayth Salomon bee two thinges that giue correction to a young man and the child that is left to his will bringes his Mother to shame and confusion meaning that a yoūg man without instruction can giue no delite nor honour to his parents and to his friendes he cannot but bring rebuke and infamie So that if hée be not reformed by good doctrine and induced to good by the spirite of God with a true faith and charitie he can not by his owne nature but dreame vppon all euill no more thē the thornie brier can of himselfe shake of his prickes or the wild trée bring forth swéete fruit if he be not oftsones gryffed And therfore it can not be iustified to say that it were better to leaue a child to liue at his owne nature wherein as S. Paule sayth is found nothing but deprauation No let him tast of good doctrine which wil be to him as a regeneration and reformation of nature And because it may be asked in what age is best to put children to learning it may be aunswered euen so soone as in the childe is expressed a minde capable of doctrine as to some at fiue yeres to some rather and toothers later beginning with them easely or as it were by pleasure without threates the rod feare or constraint For as science of it selfe is liberall so it requires in such as séeke it libertie and fréedome of wit But if there be cause or place of correction let it be for euill doing and wicked
conuite them to a voluntari forwardnes besides that by custom those labors are made easte and pleasant conteyning in them a feeding delight the same iudgment may be made of vertu of whom learning is the norsse and most faithfull preseruation which is the reason that as a man riseth in knowledg so he encreseth in studie more then at the beginning And being come to greater skill he féeles not at all the grauitie of his paines for that inward delight of mind which he findes therin and so aspiring as it weare in an ambicius zeal to learning he findes that the knowledg he hath gotten is nothing in regard of that which he is ignorant of according to the aunswer of Socrates that his knowledg was yet nothing in comparison of his ignorance Fourthly to attaine to lerning it is expedient to vse with the labor you take inteligence or vnderstanding of that you learne order of studies repeticion conference and exercise of memorie and stile Intelligence aides the iudgement order repeticion or conference and stile frame the memorie which of all other faculties of the mind is most necessary to knowledge as being the gardien or kéeper of them for as the immagination aprehendes the vnderstanding comprehendes debats and iudgeth So the memorie reteins as a tresur coÌ„serues what so euer is heard seen and red And to haue a good memorie it ss necessary to vnderstand perfectly that is learned seing to things well vnderstand memorie is a faithfull and plentifull storehowse order serueth as an artificiall memoriall which was familier with Symonides and for that he was iudged to excell in memorie Repeticion engraueth the impression of things which you will reteine and therfore if was a custome amongest the folowers of Pythagoras to repeat euery day that which they learned the day before which made them aboue al other Philosophers most singuler in knowledg as indéed we know nothing but what we haue committed to the gard and kéeping of our memorie for if wée haue learned much at times and do not retain it we cannot say we know it if we cannot remember it and apply it as the occasion of our purpose requiers no more then that man may be called riche which gained much in times past and kept little but better may he be estéemed welthy who hauing got much hath of that to serue his vse plentifully do pleasure to his frieÌ„ds So that aboue all let young wittes exercise their memorie by diligent and perfect intelligence of the whiche they studie then by exact meditation and after by repeticion in them selues or conference with their companions not learning that which they doe not communicate or dispute with an other the better to commit it to writing or else reduce it into common places which wil be to them as certaine perpetuall memorialles The woll must lye long in the dye the better to take a continuall cooller other wayes much lesse that it wold be dyed to an excellent and lasting hew but of the contrarie the cooller would be course and yet fade quickly it is then requisite that tutors who haue iudgement for their Disciples applie carefully these meanes or better if they know any for the better institution of their schollers not doubting but that memorie as doth the spirite is quickned by that exercise and séemes to rise into dayly encrease by that meane euen vntill it touche the type of singular perfection There bée that haue readie wittes and sharpe memories by nature but nature without art without doctrine and exercise is a thing maimed and vnperfect but hauing the ayde of these it yéeldes wonderfull fruite euen as the fertill ground wel tilled fructifieth the better without which industrie it would yéeld an vnprofitable haruest to the owner And as there is no ground so barene by nature which by plowing fatting and laboring is not reduced to some fruiâ—â— by the same reason there can not be such dull wittes and short memories which by the benefits of the meanes aforesaide are not sharpened and made better This I bring in by the way the more to sturre vp young spirites feeling such weaknesse of nature to trauell to correct them by those industries as we read Demosthenes by importunat and continuall laboures reformed so well his vice of nature being giueÌ„ to stutt and very vnapt to learne that he came to excell euen the most excellent Orators of his tyme In this sorte then both the one and the other young wittes aswell sharpe and forwarde as slowe and dull are exhorted to gette knowledge for the which togither with actes of true vertue they are truely acknowledged worthie of the name of men as without them they are but creatures masked rather then men neither worthy of worldly honor nor resolued of the certaine meane to their saluation and much lesse able to comprehende what God is knowledge will enable them and set them oute to what estate they like to follow and bring them honor though they will not make exercise of learning And besides the pleasure they shall receyue by it swéet profite and assured honor yea be it that they professe estate of armes a lyfe séeming farre estraunged from learning euen there also doctrine giues the greatest ayde according to the fame of the Athenian Captaines who being learned men brought foorth actes more valiant and wonderful then others and by learning the great Alexander Caesar Augustus amongest other princes most learned haue brought no small renowne to their enterprises and actes of warre For this cause the poetes haue fayned Pallas signifying science armed and as a leader of a campe meaning by that fiction that an armie is most suerly guyded by Captaines learned as in whom resteth most suttle and sharp spirites and a settled iudgement of all the pollicies and strategemes of other auncient Captaines conquering townes couÌ„treys and kingdomes Besides this the memorie of such valiaunt actes would perish were not for the writings of learned men who being Captaines as Thucidides Iulius Caesar and Iosephus or at the least men at armes as Salust haue a better order of descriptioÌ„ then such as know nothing but by heare say to such as hold that learning make mennes mindes fearfull to much deliberate or thoughtfull it may be aunswered that in the liberall and noble minds it rather workes an effect of greater courage as is most certaine in the former examples And touching thought it is necessarie to coÌ„sider with aduise when where and howe to direct attemptes of warre wherein as it is found true in common experience that councell and discretion in warres do more then force so it falles out most commonly that battailes gouerned with rashe boldnes bringe foorth vnhappie issues where wisedom ruling fortune séemes to goe with Gods deliberat prouidence For a last prayse of learning in attemptes of warre we finde that the Lacedemonians painted the nyne Muses armed declaring that men of knowledge doe then best dispose and instruct in warres when
in communicatinge to her parte of all his benefits and making her with himselfe coinheritor of his Paradise Could hée showe her more great signes of perfect amitie yea hee hath conioyned himselfe with her as one flesh making hir flesh of his fleshe bloud of his bloud and bones of his bones as we beléeue Eua was taken out of the ribbe of Adā whereby he acknowledged her to be his fleshe bones And for vertue of that coniunction he saied that touching cohabitation togither man should leaue Father and mother to cleaue to his wife yea so great is this coniunction and inseparable vnitie that no more can it be deuided then the fleshe of the ribbe being connaturall to it by consent and order of nature can be separated from the bone nor the body disioyned frō his head wherein man may vnderstand with what loue hée is bound to his wife how he ought to loue her as his proper fleshe with resolution to liue with her in amitie vnitie of indiuidible will as he séeth her conioyned to him by indissoluble communion both according to the first ordinance of God and by the seconde renouation alliance which Iesus Christ hath made with his church in spirituall mariage with this a thing knit to true loue let him thinke that the woman was taken out of the ribbe of the man to signifie that she should bee hys companion and not cut out of his héele to be his handmaid and subiect For that cause S. Peter calleth the woman coinheritrix of grace and life with the man and with S. Paule exhorteth husbandes to entreate their wyues with all gentlenes and cohabit with them by discretion as being weake vesselles giuing them honour and not to gréeue them eyther with too great burden of busines or by worldly or fleshly lettes whereby their prayers may be hindered meaning partlie with the councell of S. Paule that man and wife sometimes ought to refraine mutuall cohabitacion of their bodies to exercise themselues in prayer and fastinge as when there is preparacion for the communion whiche Ioell commaundes also to doe in tyme of penaunce when there is question to reconcile God with teares and fasting then is the tyme sayeth he that the husbande should deuide bedd with his wife and shée forbeare her mariage couche the better to praye to god For notwithstanding such cohabitacions and actes of the flesh in mariage are not of themselues in respect of the purpose of that institution vnlawfull at all tymes yet because they draw the spirit of it selfe diuine and heauēly into corrupt thoughts quenching the spirituall force and action of the same and as it were weaken it of power to rayse it selfe to God in pure and liuely contemplacion they can not be but hurtfull without moderation For which purposes if men be bound to fast and to qualefye their vnrulie lustes with better reason ought they to absteyne from suche actes which no lesse or rather more but in other qualitie peruert the spirituall faculties of the mind then either aboundance of meats or plentie of wine yet the scripture séemes to giue no such expresse commaundement touching cōtinencie as of abstinence as not to condemne the inuincible infirmitie and incontinency of many fleshly creatures who euen in mariage haue not power in respect of their custome to absteyne easelie Here the mā and wife are to bée aduertised that séeing mariage of his proper institution is a thing honorable and vndefiled let them not deface and stayne it by vnlawfull and immoderat pleasures more beastly then naturall let them remember the warning of Dauid Be not sayeth he as a Horse or Moyle in whom is no vnderstanding let them beware that they séeke not after inordinate passions which prouoke to actes of Pagans sayeth S. Paul let them be without perturbation of mynd as not bearing anger nor grudge agaynst any man let them not lurfeyte of eating and drinking nor be subiect to gluttonie and dronkenes For it is most certayne that the procreation shall resemble the qualities and corrupte natures of the Father and mother and therefore Diogenes not without cause séeing a yong boy wanton and giuen to wine gaue iudgement that his father begotte him when he was dronke as also most commonly bastardes be leacherous by reason of the vnchaste lust of their Father and mother wherein they were engendered But nowe to the lawes and rules which the husband ought to gyue to his wyfe according to the doctrine of god First the better to prepare her to humilitie she ought to acknowledge in her selfe such frayelty and infirmitie by nature both in mynd and body that as Aristotle sayeth without the guide of the man she is no other then as a matter without a forme and naturally can not liue without his direction as being drawn out of the ribbe of man and therefore what shée hath touching her body is deriued of man and was made for him and not man for hir being the first in creation forbearing here to recite all that may be sayd particularly touching his preheminence onely I maye alleadge in generall that as the man was not seduced by the Serpent as was the woman so the reason of the great error and fall of the man was the obedience hee bare to his wife contrary to Gods commaundement for the which she also was first condemned and made subiecte to more miseries then the man. These textes beare this intent to make the woman more humble and obedient aswell to God as to hir husband for that by hir nature she is easely caried in to arrogancie pride ouerwéening glorie and disobedience as being envenomed with the poyson which hir great mother Eue tooke of the Serpent suttill arrogāt proude glorious cruell here the husbande must giue hir to vnderstand that in nothing God is more displeased then in pride and disobedience done aswell against him as to her superiours Then lett him discende to the declaration of his superioritie ouer hir according to Gods creation in nature according to his holy ordenaunce according to the example of Iesus Christ by whome he is apoynted head ouer hir with authority as to a husband with promise not withstanding to vse this preheminence to hir benefit and contentment with loyall amytie here he must not for gett to putt hir in rememberaunce of the confederation which they haue made togeather to liue in holynes according to the similitude of the sacred coniunction and marriage of Iesus Christ with his church and that in all mutuall honesty and holy conuersation on with an other lett him then prescribe lawes and rules fitt for a wife That she serue God with all hir hart and loue hir husband only with franck obedience to his commaundementes giuing no occasion wherin he shall perceiue that she hath eyther said or done any thing to the offence of God Secondly lett hir beare to him affection and care as to hir husband and head as he for recompence must loue
direct commaūd gouerne lead all wherein as may be feared the effect of that ill signe and common prouerbe when the henne crowes afore the cocke and the cart put before the horse so it can not but bring malediction to the whole house for want that the wife is not well instructed and gouerned by hir husband I say not but the wise woman may and ought to commaund in the house and as Aristotle sayth haue the passage and superintendence of the houshold busines as to the husband belonges the care of outward things of greater grauetie and importance and where he can not attend the priuate affaires of the house as vnworthy of him shée maye take vppon hir to bée the faythfull storer and kéeper of the houshold reuenue fulfilling the prouerbe in Salomon That a wise wyfe buildes and edifieth the house where the fond woman with her handes subuertes it onely it is necessarie to the good man the better to drawe his wife to diligence to call her oftentymes to reckoninge for the reuenues and benefites of the house to the ende shee abuse him not seeing there be some that are hoarders or giuen to laye vp eyther for them selues fearing to become widdow or by stealth to amend the porcion of some one of their daughters more deare then the rest sometymes to gratifie a friend of secret reserue which of all others shall be least made knowne to the good man Wise husbandes ought some tymes to support in their wyues without present correction some light and easie infirmities as we sée the Phisiciō giues suffrance sometimes to a small feuer in a sick man to auoyde a greater disease determining with tyme to applie conuenient cure Tobie and Job endured with pacience the reproches of their wyues without beatinge them but with gentle declaration they corrected them and had them afterwardes very obedient yet I wishe no husband in this case to be so much a Philosopher in patience as was Socrates to his wife Xantippa who reuersing the table vpon her husband and other Philosophers disputing longer then she looked for he sayed only to the assistantes who hath hennes flying vppon the table though they turne downe the dishes and breake glasses yet the owner will not kill them for that they be profitable to laye egges euen so my wife bringes me forth children An other tyme when his wife had wearied him with great outrage violence of wordes and after whelmed a bason of vrine vpon his heade hée gaue her no worse recompence then that hee alwayes thought that after thonder rayne would fall wherein albeit his patience is more praise worthie in him then put in practise by the successors of these daies yit séeing a wife is giuen in discipline and correction to her husband and that she is neyther meare sauage nor desperate intractable which though she were yet men make tame both Lions and Tygers it were good first to vse doctrine aswell by him selfe as others hir parentes and nearest kinred and bringing her to the conference of sermons to leaue vnproued no gentle easie or friendly meane that may further her conuersion but if there be no limite to her frowardnesse then with the councell of S. Iohn Chrysostome let him minister suche discipline as may make her a good and obedient disciple for to refuse her or bring in separacion there is no sufferance by law nor conscience there is but onely adulterie which hath power ouer the deuorse yet that hath no force but where is no hope of reformatiō or for heresie which is a spirituall adulterie in which the lawe forbiddes all rigor for that if there be no breach of chastetie and that she hath desire to liue in dutie and obedience ciuill with her husband hée ought not rashly to refuse hir and if he doe yet hée standes restrained from remarying séeing mariage faith and sacrament of cōstancie are immutable In sicknes there is required in them both a mutuall care as if they were but one flesh as in all other accidentes yea if one of them should fall into leprosie there is no excuse to the other séeing faith is giuen betwéene them wherein if there were but that faith betwéene such as by extremitie of age haue no hope of liguage yet it draweth sufficient cause of mutuall succours and faithfull ayde and comfort euen vntill death whereof if eyther of them be reduced to widdow age there is one lawe general and equall to them both not to diminish the loue which they bare one to an other as in déed which of them dyeth lesseneth nothing the loue but rather encreaseth it in heauen towardes the other remayning here in life so that touchinge the reuerence of his funerall the remembrances leaft to hir by him that is dead here I speake of the woman meaning no lesse to the man as to cherish his poore parentes and friends whom he loued with any other charge committed to her faithfull and honest loue she is bound to execute them with no lesse obedience then if hee yet liued if he left her children shée is enioyned to double care as both for father mother if they haue smal age she is bound to leade them in good instruction exāple hauing rypenesse of yeres her office is to pushe them forwarde according to their faculties to the vocation whereunto their late father had prepared them if shée be a young woman S. Paule will not restrayne hir to perpetuall continency but councelleth hir onely to remayne in the estate of widowhead which for the liberall seruice of God is most acceptable and after virginitie an estate of most high perfection but if shée resolue to marie agayn let hir ioyne to her affection this ciuill consideration that firste her children be brought vp and aduaunced according to the example of the most brutish and sauage beastes on the earth who will neuer enter into the action of new procreation afore they haue nourished and giuen abilitie to their yong ones No the birdes wil not eftsoones couple with new makes afore their young ones haue winges to flie for their owne reliefe and sauetie let them not obserue the infidelitie of certaine right Pagan stepmothers who being eftsoones maried much lesse that they are beneficial to their first children but of the contrarie they refuse to take knowledge of them which happeneth moste in such as haue issue by their second husband who raking all from the house of their first husband to enriche the second issue leaue some tyme the poore children sent by God as a singular blessing and first fruites of worldly felicities naked and perplexed with many iniuries resembling in those vnnaturall moodes the shée mastyf who will not once looke vpon her first dogge but snatch and byte him after shée haue accōpanied with a second Widowes as I haue saide haue but one principall cause to marie againe which is if they bée younge and haue no children or if they haue which is a
mother as weaknes want of milke or necessitie of other extréeme sicknes she ought not to commit so deare a Iewell to the fashioning of a straunger wherein besides that it is an act expressely againe nature yet she sheweth hir self to be but halfe a mother and more corrupt in kind then Tigresses or Lionesses who hauing passed the panges of bringing forth their young ones thinke the greatest part of their zeale doth yet remaine and therfore they giue them sucke couer them licke them delite in them and till they be great thee defend them to the daunger of their owne liues from the violence of such as would take them The mother refusing the nursing of hir proper child giues suspicion of hir loue to the Father and great signes of corrupt zeale and nature toward hir children and nurses for the most part being but mercenarie beare no other loue and care to their nurse children then for the time for money whereby the poore infants sucking the seedes of diseases become impotent all the dayes of their life féele the vnnatural vnkindnes of their mothers who with their wretched nurses stand in great hazerd of iudgement afore GOD and no lesse to their Fathers suffring this vnnaturall disorder if there bée not lawfull excuse if to take the rest of the night at their pleasure and to eschew the disquiets of the daye they banish their little children into the hands of straūge nurses wherefore are they Fathers Mothers Why shoulde they desire children if they haue not delite to nurse them If God haue replenished the dugges of the Mother with milke to serue for a noriture to hir child is it not to impugne the lawe of nature ordeined of GOD and slaunder all humane reason to restrayne gods benefit plentifully intended to little infants The straunge nurse perhappes is compounded of other cōplexion and humor then the mother and the childe accustomed to a natural noriture which hée receiued in the belly of his mother what may be feared by this mutation but either change of nature or at the least a miserable subiection to sicknesses which bring more perill of death then any other disease If the nurse by necessitie vse a spare diet what shal be the strength of the child If she be giuen to gluttony what indigestion to the weak stomacke of the infant Who with the milke of hir pap will sucke the intemperance of the nurse séeing the maners and customes of the mind followe the complexions noritures and outward temperatures if the nurse be chollerike melancholy or furious what hope of good composition in the child If they saye such things may be holpen reformed afterwardes it may be answered that it is hard to correct nature Let therfore mothers according to God nature and reason nurse their proper children if they be not excusable by the causes aforesayde wherein they shall but followe the vertues of auncient Ladies yea Empresses and Quéenes to whom it was not irkesome to giue the dugge to their owne children and hauing not sufficiēt milke of thēselues they supplied it by the aide of some other good nurses but not in full noriture for feare of daunger and rather then they would vse two nurses because the diuersitie of milkes can not but be hurtful they obserued the order of the Saxons to norish the child with meat chawed in their owne mouthes by which remaynes yet a common opinion that the Saxons are more strong then the other Almaines Touching their other foode in any wise wyne must be auoyded for that it inflames the bloud and their generall diet ministred rather in sobrietie then in fulnes of delicacie For too great abundance of deyntie meates quencheth natural heat euen as too much doung or fatnesse rancketh the earth and cloyeth the corne it is conuenient euen to children of great houses risen into strēgth and age not to liue in choyse of their meates but to accustome their stomackes to all sortes of diet indifferently to drinke such liccour as is most common the better to enhable them against necessities and extremities of countreys warres and barbarous places where perhaps in place of delicate wynes they shal be glad of puddle watter their fyne fare tourned into foule and vncoath meats and yet in no plentie How heauely and hardly will such penury bee borne Yea what perill of life comes with this straunge suddaine mutation If they haue neuer endured cold and after come into snow and yce and want their wrapping what passion more intollerable yea they will thinke they haue death betwéene their teeth if they be straungers to paynes and trauell how vnapt are they to endure the perplexities of warre If they haue no exercise how hardly are they fashioned to the vse of weapons And being neuer accustomed to marche they are with great difficultie trained and prepared to the field And therfore let no youth be norished in ease but specially none that are dedicated to great affaires and martiall actions In such sort were fashioned the youth of Rome and Lacedemonie who in those two estates of people was most valiant and industrious after Lacedemonie the youth of Germany florished most by this education which ioyned with custome made them hable bodies against hunger thirst colde heate and all intollerable labours and necessities But so sone as they changed this excellēt course of exercise and suffred their youth to slide languish in pleasures their cōmon weale became weake and their florishing triumphes turned into tauerne playes whereby Lacedemonie was made a slaue to those straungers ouer whom she had commaunded Rome the triumphant Lady of the whole world become but to the coūtenāce of a handmayd and Germany by this corruption of the youth of great houses is now a place of good cheare and beares no other renoume then for banquets and feast makinge the same giuinge a daungerous argument that the destinie of the Empire aspireth to his ende But in the meane while the youth of the Turkes nourished in great sobrietie is accustomed to drink water is careles of fleshe and fine meates delites more in labor then in rest takes pleasure in perpetual exercises of the fielde the better to prepare them to the warre whereunto their vse bringes great dexteritie as appereth by their many enterprises against the Christians to the dishonour of holy religion In the tyme of Aristotle the Lacedemonians vsed their children to goe bare-headed naked on their féet the better to ouercome heat and colde and as soone as they were wayned from the dugge they were caried out of the citie as not to be corrupted by the swéete and softe pampering of their mothers and brought vp in the countrey and fieldes their bodies being made acquainted with sweat and labors when they had desire to meat they wonne it by killing some wild beast or foule which they brought to their maister and being but of small age there was hanged by a thréed in a high place some
benefices Prebendes Prelatesship estates are purchased wherein may bee gessed how well they will behaue themselues séeing they were neuer touched with the thought to become worthy of them and so are raised to priestes afore they deserue to be clerks Abbots not being méete to be Monkes Iudges afore they haue pleaded in causes of right and Masters afore they were disciples No greater disorder or confusion in a common weale When Fathers shall finde their children enclined to learning let theÌ„ applie their purse to their disposition so shall they make them most seruiceable to their countreyes honorable to themselues and most happy as touching their proper saluation if they haue no sufficient meane to continue entertaine their studie let them praye to God and rather then to discoÌ„tinue their booke bestow theÌ„ in colledges to serue some Doctors Regents or learned schollers and so leade them by long and painefull wayes to the estimacion and conquest of learning foreséeing in any wise not to discourage or dispaire the liuely will and spirite of a young child taking pleasure to studie For as it is a signe certaine of the calling of God so ther is no lesse hope and suertie but that to that inclination and vehement affection the almightie Lord being earnestly prayed vnto wil ioyne coÌ„uenient oportunities to come to that whereunto he calleth him by the which wée read of many prouing so excellent in all liberall sciences that by their doctrine they haue bene chosen Bishops Presidents yea and made more great then in their youth they were meane poore and simple some of them hauing no other beginning then trained in the function euen of the meanest seruant wherein is fulfilled the sentence of Salomon that there be poore seruants who in the end by their wisedome will beare rule ouer the riche children in whom is no habilitie to gouerne themselues discréetely There resteth to a young man but a strong desire and feruent mind to studie to make him at last wise and learned and such one sayth Aristotle though he knoweth nothing yet he is more then halfe learned if he begin well Touching the election of Masters to institute children I haue spoken at large in the last booke only I aduertise rich pareÌ„ts that to entertaine good Masters it is better to bestowe crownes then shillings For by them money time honour knowledge vertue are gained foure fold which all are lost where the instructor is either ignoraunt negligent or corrupt In this the consideration of couetousnes doth much blind vndiscréete parents more fearefull of the wast of their money then fauoring the benefite of their children according to the example of the man in Plutarch who suing to a Philosopher to teach his sonne and he requiring compotent hier what saith this couetous father with so much money can I buy a slaue by whoÌ„ I can raise yerely great reuenue so saith the Philosopher may you haue two for one if you leaue your childe ignorant and without discipline meaning that by his couetousnes he should haue a sonne a slaue to his desires and affections who liuing alwayes in dishonour and subiection would neuer bring forth any good actions but by force or feare where hauing institution as hée might by doctrine and vertue leade his lyfe in right honorable libertie so if for want of discipline he became prodigall and spent his wealth he should be driuen to serue to supplie the necessitie of hys miserable life Touching the subiection wherein a Father ought to leade his childe he hath prescription in the scripture that he must minister Discipline to his childe that is not wise and by the rod chastise his malice to the end to deliuer his soule from hell The wise man in an other text giues this councell if thou hast childreÌ„ teache and discipline them and leade them in humble subiection euen from their youth hold them shorte by sharp correction hyde in thy hart the loue thou bearest them and giue them no indulgence libertie to pleasure since as by thy good correction thou shalt receyue of them great ioye and comfort vppon the ende of thy dayes so how much thou doest enlarge their youth to libertie euen so farre doest thou leade them in the pathe of their owne destruction to thy right worthy displeasure and dishonor The childe sayeth Salomon that is left to liue at his will giues confusion to his mother We haue an example in our great and heauenly Father who the more he loueth the straiter discipline subiection doth he holde ouer those whoÌ„ he best loueth as we reade by his hard dealing with the Jsraelites and leauing the Pagans without correction saying In thy lyfe time giue not thy children power ouer thee as if he had sayde dispossesse not thy selfe of thy goods to thy children yea make not thy selfe familiar with them put thée not into their mercie but being maister so long as thou liuest retayne thy authoritie ouer them to correct them to disinherite them and punishe them if they offende Who spareth the rod from his child saieth Salomon hateth him and loues not his saluacion therefore â—o long as thy power remaynes ouer them if thou punish not their offences thou standest in the same estate of blame and damnation with them as witnesseth Hely whereof we haue spoken before It happeneth ordinarely by the iust course of Gods iudgement that as the father forgettes in his office and authoritie to minister instruction and discipline to his childe so in hys ryper yeares that negligeÌ„ce eftsâ—ones turnes his sonne froÌ„ the dutie of a child becomming disobedient disordered and dissolute and giues no reuerence eyther to father or mother yea sometimes he robbeth them dooth them wrong outrage and iniurie and setting his feete euen vpon their throate is the cause oftentymes that thei dye afore the ende of their dayes Saule is commended for that finding his sonne Ionathas by chaunce in transgression of the law he condemned him to death as if he had ben another which also he had suffered if the people had not deliuered him Dauid was somewhat to deare ouer his children which in the ende tourned to his rebuke and hurt Iacob depriued his eldest Sonne Ruben of his right of inheritaunce because hée was an inceste Abraham chased Jsmael because he had plaied with Jsaac which some interprete that hee had beaten him and others that he would haue committed Idolatrie and induced Jsaac to that impietie which thoughe it be vnderstand simplie to playe and loose time in importunat and vnlawfull sportes séeking also to seduce his younger brother and that Abraham could not bée ignorant but that Jsmael was corrupte yet hée expulsed him iustly yea euen by the commaundement of God. Noe punished with cursse ouer the familie of Cham the mocking that he made of him wherein is no great cause of maruell for that the father being the Lieuetenant of god here in earth ouer the regiment of his
the prosperitie of life but to suffer all miseries since he is offensiue to these by whome hee liues in the worlde yea he is worthy to be throwne in a hollowe ditche without burial where carion vermine may deâ—ower his carcase as they do other dead beastes For which consideration the child is bound to this dutie to his parentes and not to refuse death to sustayne them in what so euer concerneth them in honour health and life For hauing receiued all his wealth and benefites of them what more worthy or iust recompense can he retorne then a frank and thankfull prostitution of all that he hath to their vses if he take pleasure to liue doubts not that of all other things of the world life is most excellent if he thinke that the pleasure of life is one of the moste singuler benefites that maye bee demaunded if lastly commodities riches or common goods and honours do please him What reuerence loue honour and obedience is hee bound to beare to his Father and mother by whom or at the least without whom he had not enioyed them but if he make no recompence to his power and lesse thankefull at all to his parents is not his ingratitude intollerable and by iust right him selfe deserue to be depriued of all the same goods The same also being the cause why God by his law takes away without appeale the life of him that offendes his father and mother But if the vnthankfull and disobedient child be flattered with some prosperitie let him thinke it hath no long continuaunce no more then the itch of an olde man is pleasaunt longer then it is clawed but being scratched it falles of smarting For it is written that who curseth or doth euill to his Father and mother his light shal be put out in the middest of darknes that is hée shall loose his prosperitie good hap in the middest of aduersities and darke miseries which shall fall vppon him euen when hee thinkes to sléepe most soundly in the delites pleasures and eases of this world Besides the better to drawe children to obedience God promiseth them long life honour saith he thy father and Mother so shalt thou liue long vpon the earth to which promise aboue all other Saint Paule sayth is added suretie of recompence as in the promise of long life is ment commoditie rest and necessary furnitures of life as plentie of wealth and humane felicities For which cause it is sayd in another place that the blessing of fathers and mothers giueÌ„ to their children confirmeth and continueth in happy succession the houses and families of their children as of the contrary their curse helpeth much to the ruine subuersion of the same Touching the honour they get by obeying their father and mother it is written listen my sonne to the discipline of thy father and let not the law of thy mother be forgotten of thée to the end grace might be ioyned to thy head and collers about thy necke if thou do thy dutie of a good sonne to them God wil giue thée this fauour and credite to be honored of all men raise thée into that estate where thou shalt beare the honorable enseignes of thy high dignitie euen as wée sée kynges beare their diademes vppon their heads and Knights of the order their precious collers of golde about their neckes in signe of their dignitie honour and authority due to them for their vertues by which they haue worthely aspired to such estates Seing then God reserueth for childreÌ„ such ample promises of long life such worldly prosperities and such high honours which thrée béeing the very effect of all that may bee desired to make this life happye in earth comprehend also what else may be attributed to worldly felicitie How much are they bound besids the reasons earst rehearsed to beare humilitie obedience reuerent dutie to their parents whom if they disobey they haue their condemnation to miseries dishononours and to death yea and by their sinne of disobedience they stand in hazerd of the eternall curse The oblation of this duty of children to their parents is indispensible to all purposes but in cases of infidelitie as if the father being an Idolater séekes to seduce his sonne to that impietie in which this straite bond of dutie ceaseth For God is to be preferred and man abuseth his authoritie according to the vnderstanding of the gospell Who hateth not father mother brother sister and leaueth them with all that he hath can not haue the kyngdome of God yea they must leaue the dead to bury the dead to follow the Euangelicall vocation For touching the Apostolicall profession which may be alledged for that they forsooke father mother to follow Iesus Christ and to preach the Gospel it is a vocation perticuler priuileged as when Helizeus abaÌ„doned father mother to go with Helias as for this purpose may be disputed touching the life monasticall But that vocation ought not to bée alleadged to the execution of this commaundement for hée that calles such as he pleaseth reserueth such prouidence ouer the necessities of their parentes that they stande no néed of the peculiar seruice of their children whom their parentes of their proper will ought to exempt from that office of personall and temporal seruice since God calleth them to him selfe to doe to him a seruice spirituall and of more greater perfection and fruite then any function wherein they could employe them yet touching the vocation Monasticall Saint Augustin holdes good that in necessitie of the parentes the child being a Monke is bound to leaue his Monasterie to succoure them for as the law of God derogates not the right of nature but rather confirmes then restraines it so by greater reason in the humane and positiue statutes specially such as be in Monasteries there caÌ„ be no preiudice Therefore did the Scribes and Phariseis vnder colour of religion ordeyne that the childe giuinge all his goods to the temple was not bound to ayde hys father and mother yea by that meane he held him self no more bound to serue them according to that constitution by the which they expressed that such honour to God grounded vpon that deuotion abrogated all honor and naturall dutie which the childe ought to showe to his father But Iesus Christe gyueth them to vnderstand that by such tradicions they commit great impietie resisting the first ordinance of God natural and diuine also and inuiolable by his Scripture We sée that euen the most perfect and Apostolike life was not exempted from this subiection as Christe him selfe was subiect to Joseph and the virgin Marie and exercisinge xxx yeares after his diuine vocation he reiected not froÌ„ his trayne his mother his Auntes and cousines but called them and entertayned them with him I meane the poore of the reuenues which men presented him withall no lesse did the Apostles to their parentes and kinred of whom the greatest part which were
calling them villains peasantes and varlettes who notwithstāding are their norsses that put the bread into their hande wherewith they liue they make readie the meat and wine wherwith they are fedde they prepare the garmentes that cloth their bodies the horses whereupon they are moūted and put into their pursses the money that supplieth their common vses and for recompence they are beaten if they whyne as the saying is when they iustly complayne Such Gentlemen also whose delite is laid vp in dronkenes and whoredome to the dishonour of God and slaunder of the people such whose couetousnes is not satisfied but with the spoyle of their people yea drawing the skinne quicke from the carkasse taking the pullettes from the widow and the best shéepe from the farmor and from the poore husband man the haye and oates wherwith his traueling cattell should liue such as promise and performe not borrowe and paye not againe follow their hawking and huntinge oftentymes to the hurt of the countrey as when corne and grasse are in their encreasing season suche as are serued with the labors of their tenantes without recōpense and straine their horse their oxe and cariadge to their proper worke without satisfaction To be short who so euer wrongeth in any sort the meanest that is can not in any equitie merit the name of Gentlemen and much lesse enterprise vpon a title so honorable in whose life are expressed suche apparant effectes of dishonour and publique infamie can they in actes of villainy and vices worthely displaye the honourable enseignes of vertue and nobilitie will they make noblenes the cloake to oppressions and wronges which by vertuouse actes is raised the beautie excellencie and dignitie of houses he is not gentle in whom is founde violence or tyrannie and farre from the name of a Gentleman whose conuersation expresseth dissolute deformed dispositiō no he is a villain in equitie whose lyfe is stayned with actes of villainy as of the contrary vertue doth rayse and enoble villains of blud and race yea vertue only is as the soule of noble families without the which they were but as vaine and dead By which reason as to our place and estate of nobilitie is tyed higher and greater pretences of vertue so also by reasonable congruence the more higher wee stande in title and dignitie the more notable are our vices and faultes as a skar or deformitie in the face showes more then if it were in the hand or foote because those partes be more inferior and lesse apparant yea one small vice in a Gentleman is more reprocheable to the world and damnable afore God then many faultes in manye meaner people as in the law a prince ouer a whole nation offered as much sacrifice to God for his sinnes as the whole multitude for their common offences for the in place where hée should expresse to his people exāples of vertue and leade them in conuersation of ciuill lyfe he giues publike occasion to doe euill for that his errors being knowen draw the multitude to imitacion If a Gentleman so often as he falleth vnderstood the grauitie of his damnation where as his lightnes leades him some times to glorifye or vaunt his nobilitie to shake his sword to manage his great horses and to muster in gorgious garmentes and armour as pompes of his nobilitie he would euen so often common with his carefull thoughts how to discharge and acquite that dutie of a good and Christian Gentleman such one according to our prescription I denie not but touchinge his generall estimation with the world he must maintayne place and countenance according to his house and race both for the honor of the vertues of his auncestors and to expresse in him selfe fruits resembling and worthie of such trées Let him haue castels horses armour and ornamentes aunswering the estate and maiestie of his house and withall let him to that honorable prerogatiue expressed in those visible fignes ioyne the consideration of his office which is to leade his people whose nature is to beare reuerēce and loue to suche as are worthie of them in equitie obedience order and feare as in déed it hath ben a perpetuall custome in all ages and Countreys that as in Kings Princes Noble men and Magistrates haue ben more perfecte exāples of ciuill and christian order so to such hath ben alwayes moste due and decent all stately pompes whether in ritch iewelles apparell horses or costly houses wherin this care is carefully and continually to bee applied not as preposterous men to make of the accessary the principall of the shadow the body and of the accidence the substance but alwayes to entertain the autētike first causes of the nobilitie of the house which ar religiō Iustice and zeale to Gods honour and the defense of his Countrey accompanied with wisedome aduise sobrietie temperance and inuincible magnanimitie by whiche vertues Josua Othoniel Sampson Jeptha and Dauid haue wonne honour to them selues and perpetual noblenes to their houses ¶ The dutie of Aduocats or Councellours at law Chapter ix ADuocates or Councellours at law are not as coadiutors to Iudges and Gentlemen Presidents and chiefe Iustices to decyde and determine but onely with their aduise by opinions and reasons alleadginge customes ordinances statutes and lawes they serue to explayne causes of their clyentes leauing the iudgement to the Iudges called and constituted To euery one of those the wise man speaketh open thy mouth to the dombe meaning speake for the ignorant man and vnderstand the causes of al persons consider well that which is iuste and take vppon thée the cause of the poore and néedie as if he had saied thou which art Aduocat receyue the causes of all suche as come vnto thée and their complaintes for that thou art bound to all by thine estate speake liberally for the poore in whom being no knowledge to deduce their case they haue lesse meane to informe the Iudge such instructe both what they shall saye and doe be no partie eyther in councell or mayntenance to a wicked cause nor suffer any to doe wronge to the poore to whom the wise man séemes to perswade moste compassion for that to such is seldome showed fauour or credite of men for God hath giuen thée grace to speake and opened to thée the vnderstanding of the Lawes to the ende to minister helpe to others as to the toong hée hath gyuen the facultie of spéech to speake for the whole bodie and for euery perticuler member chiefly when any of them is grieued and in cases of wrong euen so the Lawyer which is the toūg and interpretor to the body polletike and of all men being in affaires and busines ought to spare no compassion to the cause of the poore disposing his office to iustefie right and bring all wrong to punnishment wherein besides that he satisfieth at the full the office of his vocation yet in soliciting for the poore he doth a seruice of greatest merit with God in seeing iustice to
be kept one of the first actes of vertue and in iustifying the innocent he defendes him from violent oppression and preseruing his smal porcion of goods kéepes him from the hospitall and his wife and familie from perishing by hunger In sustayning the cause of the poore and procuring condemnation to the wicked he doth double worke of mercie obserueth that which so often God recommendes in the Scripture wherein the Iudge executing the good aduise and exhortacion of the aduocate accomplisheth the iudgement of God doing an act of high praise and worthy of eternall felicitie The aduocate thus being the mouth of the people and chiefe enformer of the Iudge ought not to bee ignorant in the written lawe customes statutes and ordenances of the land helping his wit with the art of reasoning and his iudgement with general experience in all affaires wherein the science of Logicke morall discourse and specially the studie of polletike reasoning may bring great helpe to him for if by ignorance hée giue wicked counsel and leade the partie in a vaine expence of money to pursue an vniust cause or if by indirect or suttle dealing hee cause an other to loose his righteous sute though the lawes of ages and countreis appoynt him no punishment yet being guiltie both to the one and other losse I doubt not but by the lawes of heauen and conscience he ought to refine to the parties the full damage hapned by his corrupt counsell No lesse punishment but greater shame is due to the ignorant iudge giuing corrupt sentence by the perswasion of the aduocate as to whom it belonges to be more wise and resolute not deseruing to sit in the seate of a Iudge afore he haue thorowly passed the office of an aduocate and practised lawes in publike court which hée had read in priuate studies But if the aduocate entertaine by couert sleightes and suttleties vniust causes procuring cauillations by delayes to weary the man whose sute is good and enforce him to a hurtfull accord and so by his shiftes peruert iustice into iniquitie besides that he is bound to satisfaction of the losse yet he is not out of the perill of Gods curse Aduocates and procurers who by entertayning processes in delayes empouerish good men and become riche them selues and such the very instruments of Sathan as eyther bréede or norish quarell betwéene parties are condemned to all wretchednes by Iesus Christ For if such as be peaceworkers be happy of common congruence thē who hindreth confoundeth or delayeth peaceable causes are ordayned to misery as by whom is set abroche among neighbours the vessell of grudge malice hatred sorowe heauines and vtter vndoing and also losse of time in their established trades and vocations wherevnto they are called by God and if they be not the causes directly that their clients offend God in many sorts at least they kéepe them from seruing him restrayning al their hart thoughts and industrie to the furthering of their proces which cannot bée but a kind of impietie yea oftentimes it hapneth that by the dilatorie shiftes of solicitors and attorneys many rich clients sée no end of their cause in many yeres whereby it hapneth that he that preuaileth reapes not so much as he hath spent and he that is ouerthrowne is sent to the bagge wallet being afore the beginning of the sute of good estate of habilitie To such as be the occasions of this euill I aske this question if they be not iudged by their owne lawe which sayth such as giue the occasion of euill séeme to do the euill it selfe if the sinne bee as great to him that holdeth as to the other that cuts the throte of the iust mā is there any grace or distinction in the sentence touching the Iudge specially if he may apply remedie and abuse his meane Let no man erre by couertures of writtes or wrested titles of the expounders of the law or orders of courtes for in what sort so euer they do wrong to any man according to iudgement and conscience which with great aduise ought to be considered more then the opinion and comments of writers hid vnder the shadowe of the lawe and yet against the lawe which of it selfe is iust and good so that it be not abused they worke their owne depriuation of the life eternall The vnrighteous sath Saint Paule shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God And who are more vnrighteous thē such as worke against the iudgement and intencion of the lawe and contrary to the secret aduise of reason and sense of conscience which is not blinded through affections and custome of euill Would those smooth and coosening Lawyers if they were in the state of their simple clyents attribute it to wel doing to haue with them their best bloud drawne from them without féeling and that which remaines become too corrupt for horseleaches Let them thinke vnhappie is the gaine wherein vnhappely is wrought the destruction of poore soules What other thing doe counsellors and attorneys committing to their Clerks Bookes of length and many lines and consequently of more gaine to them selues but draw by suteltie money out of the poore mans purse What other thing is it then to impugne God hurt their conscience seduce the Prince the Court and the world and vnder cooller of that iust and lawful gaine to commit manifest theft whereof they stand condemned in the iudgement of God where all suttletie shal be reuealed which Saint Paule calleth darknes and all iniquitie examined not according to the vaine fancie of couetous fleshly men which think there is no other iniquitie but that which is séene and palpable to the hand but euen the most suttle craft that may be imagined shal be by the euerlasting eye so clearely spied and descerned that it shal be iudged worthy of death one of the offēces that most displeaseth God is the sinne of the Deuill as to be a deceiuer a Traytor a dissembler malicious author of quarrelles suttle and polletike to do euill it is said the Deuill that appeared to Eue hid vnder the visible serpēt was of all other creatures most craftie suttle Then if our aduocates and attorneis being instructed in the deuils sutteltie sticke not to glorifie themseiues to haue so good a teacher and master to learne them by good reason as they practise his instruction and example they are also to receiue with him a common rewarde and recompence yea let them be assured that the suttle are taken in their owne snares and that no councell cunning nor reason stande a fore God who being able to confound all will call into terible iudgment al such masquid and disguised suttelties is it not a vaine and foolish sutteltie to beguile a poore man of a halfpeny and for it to be condemned to lose a crowne what folly more then for the gaining of certaine transitorie drosse here on earth by suttle means to be condemned to the losse of all goodes body and
true frindes for that when such rich men shall become pore which God doeth often suffer they are for saken of their frindes because riches was the only cause of such frendship and who loues an other as it were in recompence of affection that he beareth to him loueth not as he ought for that the cause rising of bare fancie which afterwardes may chaunge into hate the frendshipp can not be certein nor perpetuall yea he that loueth an other for his vertue loues not simplie as he ought according to God for that as the vertue of the man enclines to vice so the affection of his frend will conuert into hate for which cause Aristotle aloweth the sentence of a wise Philosopher saying that men ought to loue but not so much but that they may hate meaning that louing men of vertue and their vertues torning into vices our affection may resume his first qualitie if for charitie sake we forbeare to hate them This was his iudgment of frendes that might chaung by francke and louing will But by the Gospell we are warned to loue our ennemies and wicked men yea Infidels which séeke to persecute vs to death so much are we bound to loue them as to praye to God for thē and to present them with our goodes help and life if there be hope of their saluation not so much as willing or doing to them any displeasure so did Christ loue vs all and died for vs being his ennemies The cause of this loue is God for the honor loue and commaundement of whome we loue louing that which he loueth according as he loueth and for what cause he loueth conforming vs wholy to his will and his loue in the which and for the which he loueth vs all Let vs loue therfore that which is of him as in man his Image and semblance his handie worke his vertues his graces conforming ourselues to the loue which he bears him hauing made for him so many creaturs giuen him his Aungells for his protectores and guides and his only sonne to death for him yea euen when man was his enemye blasphemed him and was altogether disobedient to him Thus must we loue the soule of our neighboure albeit he be our ennemie as the deare cōquest of the precious blode of IESVS CHRIST and his body being the sacred temple of the holy ghost yea so we must loue him as Iesus Christ loued him giuing his life frankelye for him whom by baptisme as he hath incorporated him in him selfe to be a member of his bodye and by faith in the holy communion made him his flesh and blood so I ought to loue him as one of the members of the bodie of this Lord and as his flesh and blood with all seing we are all made by him members of the same misticall bodye and childrē all of one father by spirituall adoption then the same affection ought to be conuersant amongest vs which passeth betwéene members of one selfe bodye proper and naturall brethern in effect the friendship that we ought to beare one to another ought to be without acception of personnes counthries kindred or parents with which zeale if we loue not euen the most strangers of the worlde the most vnthankefull amongest men and our mortall enemies we are not the disciples of Iesus Christ by whome we are tolde that then we declare our selues his folowers when we do that which he commaundes vs his precept is that we loue one an other as he hath loued vs to saye and doe well by our enemies yea to dye for them if néede require in hope to gaine and saue their soules in sorte as he is deade for ours So that who hateth another beareth malice to him doeth him iniurie séeckes reueng of him strikes him and which is extreme iniquitie killeth him apertains no more to Iesus Christ as to beare the name of on of his disciples or of his flock thē the wolues Lions Tigres are of the heard and flocke of Lambes vnder the charge of a shepherd Suchthen that haue quarrells aspiringe to combate one against another practise reuenge of wronges by their proper authorities belong nothing to the profession of Christ and in their hartes haue no more taste of God then Pagans and vnbeleuing Atheists He that will offer sacrifice to God can not by Iesus Christ make it acceptable to his father if he haue offended his neyghboure and is not reconciled as also who hateth his Brother is a murderer and stands voyde of grace for eternall life I comprehend not in this such Christians as by lawfull iustice pursue the restitution of their goods honour or wrongs receiued by any wicked men for séeing iustice and iudiciall order is of God and by him commaunded to procure punishment in forme of iustice to the wicked acording to their merits and that by the Magistrate the law is not onely lawfull but also acceptable to god so that it be done without hatred and affection of perticular vengeance not regarding so much our proper benefit honour or priuate interest as to correct vices by that iustice to giue succour to the soule of the transgressor to the better stay and example of a whole communaltie This is also expressed in the exāple of a body which we go about to purge frō botches impostumes boyles In which body if there be any member so corrupt that it would infect the others to the daunger of the whole bodie it is cut of but with a great displeasure to all the other members who by a communion of nature being conioyned and knit together do loue one an other with connaturall and perfect zeale And to retourne to the matter of Christian amitie we are bound to loue men as God loueth thē whose loue is so much the greater towardes them by how much hée findeth their affection pure to him and the more doth his zeale increase the more he séeth in them that which is his as faith and charitie with feruent zeale to his honour and exercise of good déedes euen so the more faith and simplicitie we find in men the better affected to Gods honour of a more ready and franke minde to his seruice better disposed to actes of compassion and aspiring nearer a deuine perfection of God euen in so much greater affection honour and franke mind of seruice are we bound to them as knowing that in that we most please God who for those respects honoreth them more then others And therefore we honour nor loue them not so much in their persons as we expresse our selues to loue God in them in whom we honour his giftes and graces and all that we find to be deuine in them So that as we are bound in a stronger affection and more readines of seruice to those whom we know to be men of honest integretie then to others in whom we can acknowledge no such vertues So yet we must hate no creature according to the example of
prouide so that this soule I meane the diuine law entertayning with it the lawe naturall and politike as the reasonable soule in man compreheÌ„des vnder her regiment the spirit sensitiue and vegatiue be Lady and mistres chiefly ouer your selues as gouerning your dooings according to hir direction to the ende that by your guyde she gouerne and entertayne all the rest of the body politike without being hindered by you in fauours or other corruptions ciuill yea let her fréely stretche out her selfe in vigour and vertue equally to euery generall and particular parte for the better abilitie of his proper and naturall action I meane let euery one exercise the particular vocation whereunto he is called for the better regiment of the whole in one equall faith without acception of persones euery one with franke readines enclining to the prescript of that law according to the limite of his particular charge by which obseruation there can not happen eyther to the whole or any peculiar proporcion of the body any disorder disagréement contencion or confusion And euen as when the humane body of man is gouerned and ruled by phisicke it seldome falles into disease for that in that Science is prescription of all thinges necessarie to conserue health euen so by this lawe the true Phisicke medcine of mindes so long as they obserue the rules of it common weales are not onely entertained in plausible and constant prosperitie but withall armed against the assaultes of al casuall inconuenieÌ„ces eyther by suttletie malicious force or pollecie But as the body then slides into infirmities and diseases when it giues ouer the counsell and iudgement of phisicke so the body ciuill neglecting the rule of the law prepares to it self occasions of many passions as warre famine with such miseries as God vseth to sende for the transgression of his law God in many places in his law but specially in Deuteronomie forespeakes blissinges and happy successe to the good obseruers of his lawe that aswell in their houses as their Cities Countreys and whole affaires as of the contrary his threates be terrible to the traÌ„sgressors prophesying all miseries to their families their goods their cattell yea to their owne bodies with these miseries the Prophetes often tymes threaten the Israelites for their transgression as also other straunge nations for that they had ben cruel to the desolate people of Jsraell There are none more imediat causes of the miseries afflicting men in priuate or common weales in generall then the transgression of the lawe and obstinate constancie in wickednes For we find that in all times miserie hath followed sinne as the smoke doth the fier aswell to perticular men as in Cayn Lamech Agar Iâ—maell Esau Hei Onan with many such from the beginning of the world as to whole commoÌ„ weales suffring impunitie of sinne as in Josua it is sayed that for Acham who contrary to Gods commaundement tooke a wedge of gold and for the sacrileage of Hiericho all the Armie of Jsraell to whom was promised victory was put to flight so grieuous to God is sinne how secret so euer it be who will haue it punished for that cause Salomon sayth that sinnes makes people and nations vnhappy which then appeareth most when it is knowne and the common weale makes no care to do iustice of it as we sée hapned in Gabaon of the Beniamits in which Citie for the vnchast violacion of a woman dying of the violence almost all the sayd Beniamites were ouerthrowen by the other Jsraelites God ordeyning this iudgement for the reuenge of the womans dishonour oftentimes the man that hath done euill is not punished only but also the affliction stretcheth to his house as hapned to Cham for mocking his Father with whom his sonne Canaan with all his Chananites were scourged The sinne of Loth and his daughters is not punnished only with the penance of the good Patriarch but also vppon his children The Moabites and Ammonites who were reiected froÌ„ the alliaÌ„ce with the Jsraelites for their reproued generatioÌ„ yea forbideÌ„ to enter into the temple albeit thei were coÌ„uerted to god much more grieuously is punished the sin of the Prince the Magistrate not vppoÌ„ themselues only but what they loue is touched their whole people visited as is manifest in Dauid who notwithstanding he did penaÌ„ce for his adultery murder yet his sonne died for the punishmeÌ„t or satisfaction of those two sinnes as also for the adultery he did to an other maÌ„s wife his owne coÌ„cubines in the meane while were polluted And for that he rose into pride he was striken with plague by the death of three score and ten thousaÌ„d persons who consenting with their Prince in his vain glory and vices had their share in his iudgement and punishment when all the world was resolued into sin God spared not a generall punnishment by the great flood which had power ouer all flesh sauing eight persons preserued in the Arke In Sodome and Gomorrhe the fier of heauen consumed all but Loth his wife his two daughters And in the first sacking of Ierusalem but much more in the last and generall spoyle of Titus Vespatian to the ruine of all Iuda according to the prophesie of Iesus Christ For all the world had erred eyther actually or by manifest consent or secretly and to come yea euen the little-children who albeit had yet done none euill yet if they had had then iudgement or ripe age they had had the same will with their pareÌ„ts as with all children in some sort are the substance and principall goods of their parents So that their fathers offending and deseruing to be grieuously punished the scourge falles also vpon their goods children I meane touching temporall paines for concerning the soule the sinne followeth the author according to the iudgement of God who as a iust and soueraigne Lord punisheth the man for his proper vice and euery vice in the man as we sée hee did in the first ruine of the worlde when he drowned fathers mothers children seruants with all sortes of beastes sauing such as he reserued for propagation and sacrifice ¶ Counsell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie Chapter v. IT belongs then to gouernours of a common weale as to good Phisitions by the doctrine of the law both deuine and humaine the true medecine and preseruatiue of Christian soules to kéepe and conteyne their people and gouerning them both in generall and perticular by this law that they fall into no daungerous sinnes and mortal diseases of the soule they are restrained to no lesse care art and dutie to preserue them then the Phisitions corporall are bound to defend the bodies from sicknesses by iudgement rule of good regiment And not confounding the two estates Ecclesiastical and pollitike or secular from doing their perticular functions albeit in profession diffring yet teÌ„ding to one generall end to erect Gods kyngdome
is but foolishnes afore God so with him such fleshly wisedom is also enuied therfore who seekes to be wise according to God let him labor to be a foole according to the world as if Saint Paule had said that there is no other wisdom according to god then the holy scripture according to the which we must aspire to become wise But if we moderate and rule our selues by our own knowledge and fleshly iudgment contrary to the doctrine of the same wisdom we are fooles and beguile our selues in faith such philosophie being suttle deceitfull and no lesse differing from faith then bestialitie from the sense of reason the same being the cause why the wise man saith that vaine are those men in whō is no knowledge of God And to resolue touching the opinions of those new philosophers concerning the euentes of the miseries happening in Christendome it is méete we stand resolutly vpon the iudgement of the scripture without passing further following simply the which briefly we haue spoken before which is in effect that we beléeue that they fal vpon the earth by the wisdome and prouidence diuine to such as knowe and loue God and that for their profit benefit and health sayeth S. Paule and that he empouerisheth not but to enrich againe hurtes not but eftsoones to cure and heale nor strikes none to death but to reuiue them againe to life he sendes not into hell meaning eternall miseries but eftsoones to deliuer them so that nothing hapneth but by Gods prouidēce and that for our profit whereby the elect and holy ones receyue their probation and are kept in bridle and made better Secondly wée muste thinke that he kéepeth vs not in punishement for our sinnes no longer then we deserue it no more then the Phisicion purgeth his patient but according to the necessitie of his disease for which cause affliction is called purgation And as the mettall by the fyer is purified of his rust and earthy filthines vntill he be refined euen so God clenseth vs of our iniquities vnder faith in Iesus Christ making vs by that meane become better therfore when he layeth his hand vpon vs he doth it with the clemencie of a father but if we correct our selues his roddes are throwne into the fire and with our deliuerance he giues vs spirituall pleasure ioye and plentie of all necessarie benefites Thirdly if he sée we perseuer in vices he continueth his punishment making them so much the more sharpe and gréeuous by howe much our sinnes are cankered and of hard cure not sparing according to our obstinacie merit and grauetie of our wickednes to roote vs vp by death as he did Herod or else deliuereth vs vp to our owne lustes and wil punish vs no more as reseruing vs for his iust and terrible iudgement as he dealt with the rich man This is that which according to the scriptures we ought to beléeue touching the calamities which God sendes to a common weale or a whole realme and therefore to those dispusers and doctors of policie speaking not only so rashly but also in infidelitie of the aduersities of the world be it sayed that they learne a new lesson speak as Christians least the world hold them in the reputacion of infidelles and men ignorant of god Touching such as maintaine that thorow out the world and in all ages there haue bene miseries and therefore not to bée holden strange that in this time perticular nations suffer aflictions let them ioyne with all these further cōsiderations that God vseth other wayes I meane for other causes to touch with miseries those men and nations which acknowledge honor and worship him in true religion as their souereigne Lord then he doth to other eyther Apostats and schismatikes or all together Infidels the good sort and holy ones receiue these afflictions as disciplines corrections by the which being aduertised of the indignation of their heauenly Father against them they are stirred to conuertion to crie him mercie and with all dutie to dispose themselues to serue him where the others when he hath rebuked thē yet they are not chastised by those scurges which in déede he will not suffer to worke the effect of correction in them as knowing their obstinacie but as they are punished for that they haue done wrong to his children being to them as Lions and wolues to the pore flocke so he maketh them vnderstand it to th end they do no more wronge to them That is the cause why Esay and Ezechiell fore tell the desolation of many townes and regions of the infidells as hauing vexed with cruell warrs the Israelites or to stay them with mutuall warrs from offering oppression and tiranny to the faithfull as we sée proued by many examples in the olde Testament And albeit God serued his turne with them and made them his scorges to whip his children the axes to dismember them yet he ment not that they should tiranously deale with them but as oftē times it hapneth they acknowleged not how nor for what they were victors but proudly attributed to themselues the glory of victories So for that pride and tiranny God sent them afterwards other tirants that requited them with iust recompence both for that they might vnderstand they had euill done so to vex his people as also to call them to a better modestie if afterward he should send them to discipline his people for no other causes God séemes to care for such reprobates but with the sentence of the scripture deliuereth them vp to their perticular affections desiers and wills with whome the deuill who is their prince doth what he list And where he giues them the fruition of this inferior world common with his other people as helth libertie and plintie of goodes He doth that of his generall prouidence not meaning for their impietie to break the order established from the beginning of the world as giuing blessing to the earth to beasts fishe and men for procreacion hauing so disposed the Elements the generation and corruption of naturall thinges all which do aswell bring profit and pleasure to Idolators and infidels as to the people of God and euen so so many calamities and miseries yea often times more and death it selfe do happen aswell to those as to others as the wise man saith Here may be deserned how our babling naturall disputers doo slide with their swéet error in to extreme impietie not seing in to the high councell and wisdom of God who as he is wise constant and immouable in his generall ordenances so he enterteyneth the order established in perpetuall prouidence of his creation they consider not as wisemen ought to do and much lesse see in to the cause why he hath made all this that is nor for what end he entertayneth and preserueth it They ought to haue learned that the vnfaithfull and euill liuer deserue not to possesse the vse and benefit of any creature
185 ¶ Still touchinge the recommendation of hospitalitie and almes Chap. 6. fo 187 ¶ Generall and speciall recommendation for prisoners and that for debtes we ought not lightly to emprison one an other fo 189 The fifth Booke OF the institution of youth with a prayse of free schooles c. Chap. 1. fol. 191 ¶ What Principall and Regents ought to bee called to institute a Colledge c. Chap. 2 fol. 190 ¶ A continuance of the discourse of Colledges by other comparisons Chap. 3. fol. 193 ¶ Wisedom science vertue diligence and feruent zeale to their disciples are very necessary for scholemaisters Chap. 4. fol. 197 ¶ Instructions to know by the way of contrary oppositions by the comparisons of the other chapters the miseries hapning by lewde scholemaisters Chap. 5. fol. 202 ¶ Amplifications of the said comparisons touching wicked maisters c. Chap. 6. fol 206 ¶ Continuance of the sayd comparisons Chap. 7. fol. 211 ¶ Maisters ought to instruct their disciples c. Chap. 8. 214 ¶ A continuance of the prayse of science c. Chap. 9. fo 219 ¶ Examples of commodities which science bringeth to the learned c. Chap. 10. fol. 223 ¶ It is necessarie for many reasons that all schollers remayne in one Colledge Chap. 11. folio 227 ¶ In a Colledge or schoole there ought to be statutes authorised by the Vniuersities c. Chap. 12. fo 215 ¶ Refutation of the false iudgements of some proude worldlings touching the profession of schoole maisters Chap. 13. fol. 235 ¶ An exhortation to young children to studie Chap. 14. fol. 241 The sixt Booke OF the office of euery estate and first of the dutie of the husband to his wife Chap. 1. 247 ¶ A continuance of the matter of mariage and the dutie of c. Chap. 2. fo 255 ¶ Still touching the dutie of the wife Chap. 3. fol. 263 ¶ The office of fathers and mothers and the dutie of children Chapter 4 folio 273 Still touching the education of young children Chap. 5. fo 280 ¶ In what dutie children are bound to their fathers and mothers Chap. 6. fol. 289 ¶ The dutie of maisters towardes their seruaunts Cha. 7. 398 ¶ How men haue ben made noble and of their dutie towardes their subieetes or tenantes Chap. 8. fol. 307 ¶ The dutie of Aduocates or Councellors at law Cha. 9. 315 ¶ The dutie of Marchants Chap. 10. fo 321 ¶ How the Marchant may performe his lawfull trades gayne iustly his estate Chap. 11. fol. 328 The seuenth Booke AL other estates are comprehended in those that haue bene alreadie debated the explication of the qualities of personnes Chap. 1. fo 339 ¶ Still touching the qualities of persons Chap. 2. fol. 345 ¶ Of Christian amitie and how many sortes of friendship there be Chap. fo 350 ¶ How a common weale is gouerned and wherein it erreth Chap. 4. fol. 359 ¶ Councell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie Chap. 5. fol. 366 ¶ How God some times punisheth a whole people for a secret sin c. Chapter 6. fol. 375 ¶ To remedie all euils the causes must be taken away the discretion and wisedome requisite thereunto Chapter 8. fol 440 ¶ Confutation of humaine philosophie touchinge the affaires of faith wherein and in things serious men ought not to decyde but according to the scripture Chap. 9. folio 345 FINIS ¶ What is first requisite in the well gouerning of a common weale howe Cyuil pollicie ought to be conformable to the celestiall gouernement what good commeth of good pollicie what maner of gouernours and Iudges ought to be chosen to direct publique states ⧠The first Chapter TO dyrect a true and Christian pollicie it is necessarie in the first consyderation that suche as are chéefe disposers of the same bée chosen accordyng to the wil and ordinaunce of God of whom in respect of their institution they are to bée fauoured assisted in their Counsels actions and gouernements as also for that all power rule belonging to him the administration therof dependeth likewise vpō him wherein he hath ordayned for vs in earth a forme to rule guide and gouerne this inferiour Hierarchie by the example of that supreme and celestiall estate of Angels and happy soules aboue in all good order and perfect pollecie So that by thimitation of the same it is requisite that we be directed by wise Magistrates who hauing power to commaunde may vse simplicitie in the measure and rate of their Aucthoritie and wée in our common life expressing an immoueable zeale to obedience may concurre with them and agrée altogether in one lawe and doctrine one wyll and iudgement And to be short the better to exercise one vniuersall and holy conuersation standing vppon puretie of affection and wyll with one true religion in God we must obserue one vnitie in Iustice one integritie of life and maners fulfillyng alwayes our duetie to our neighbour the better to prepare vs with communitie of heart voyce and example to loue and feare God and with one mouth to praise honour and serue him with redie obedience and humilitie to his commaundements together with sincere and mutuall Loue one to another expressed in Actes of perfect charitie And this as it is the marke and ende of the Lawe the Magistrate and Christian gouernement being directed according to the forme celestiall and example aboue So in it wée declare our selues to bee common members of one bodye for a common Weale is a bodye Ciuil so knit together with indissoluble vnitye in friendship that wée suffer one selfe zeale and affection and geue one common ayde and succour to all our affayres reléeuing euery perticular necessitye with one constant and perpetuall rate and measure of compassion in this sorte are wée reduced into one body pollitike and by this pollicie drawne into one Spirite as being but one in God led and guided by his Spirite inwardly and outwardly by wise gouernours euen as God hath planted in our naturall body members more soueraigne and perfect in nature to gouerne the others more inferiour the same being more deuinelye resembled in the celestiall Hierarchy where the Spirites indued with more grace and greater perfection haue by heauenly election power ouer the others To this ought to bée referred the example of electing gouernours to publike states as both cōcurring with the order of nature with whom things of most perfection beare most rule and also resembling the Supreame gouernement from whence Moyses had commaundement to drawe the plot of his terrestriall pollecie calling vnto him such as were most wise and perfect aboue others wherein God geueth him aduertisement by Iethro his Father in-law to prouide such gouernours by the counsell which hée giueth him in this sort Prouide saieth hée to bée Iudges ouer others wise men whom thou shalt chose amongst the people fearing God true and louers of trueth and such as hate Couetousnes of them make some Tribunes who may stand as generall Iudges ouer
children ought to execute his authoritie and suffer in them no impunitie of vice such commission was giuen to fathers and mothers by the law that if they vnderstoode their sonne to be disobedient or rebellious they ought to produce him into iudgement prosecute him to sentence to be stoned where the father and mother ought to cast the first stone against him But as the father is bound to seueritie towardes his children that are arrogant disobedient and corrupt so to such as are humble obedient and of most seruice to him Christianitie and natural office bind him to more franke curtesie and cōsideration So did Noe reknowledge Sem and Japhet by blissings because they had bene his good and faithefull children Abraham for the obedience of his sonne Jsaac made him his heire giuing but legacies to his other children And Iacob recompensed Ioseph with porcion double aboue the others Touching Maydes the scripture enioineth parentes to kéepe them short to haue their eye continually vpon them and neuer to accustome them to familiaritie for that sexe without subiection in youth beares a nature easie to slyde and is frayle aboue all other creatures more daungerous to be preserued thē any other brickle vessell Dyna went but to visit the maydes of the Citie of Sichem and was forthwith rauished by the prince of the countrey Thamar Dauids daughter going onely to comfort her brother Ammon whom they sayd was sick fell into violacion of hir bodie many there are of whō nothing is more required then opportunitie to expresse their corrupt willes for which cause it belonges specially to the mother to giue them no libertie out of her companie nor licence to speake to men without testimonie For there néedeth but one woorde to infecte a mayd as one word of the serpent was sufficient to seduce Eue notwithstanding hir wisedome A mayd is as a brickle glasse which as if you touche but with your least finger it is enough to make it fall and breake so the very type of a wicked toung suffiseth to entyce to euill a young maid being not instructed in the feare knowledge of God so daungerous saith the scripture is the virginitie of a maid therfore according to Salomon that father doth a great work when hée marieth his daughter And in the mean let him kepe hir in extreme subiection feed hir in sobrietie kepe hir in expresse exercise of some worke of the hand the better to restraine hir from thought of euill if they be pore let the parents prouid some occupation which with diligence and chastitie is a rich dowrie in mariage And to the riche science and labor are occupations necessarie to draw the mind from foolish and vaine thoughts for end as ther be sixe things to kepe maids from corruption doctrine shame feare subiection sobrietie and perpetual trauell So in the consideration of the charge of parents to their children let fathers remember that séeing they know by faith that they are ordeyned of God to serue him in propagation noriture and aduancement of the children which he giues them for they are as his ministers and lieftenaunts in that behalfe let them raise themselues to him in faith and hope that he will neuer abandone them seing the children do more aperteine to him then to them as hauing endewed them with a soule the figure of his deuinitie forming their bodies of wonderfull composition created infinit sortes of creaturs for their sakes let fathers confesse that they are but as nurses to God norishing his proper children and administring his seruice in those acts so deare to him they haue to receiue of him perpetuall rewardes if ther be honorable recompence in a king or prince of the earth to a comon nourse ministring noriture to the kings childe according to the will and prescript of his father Much more suretie haue fathers by their Faith ioyned with prayer that the heauenly King touching the necessities of common life will neuer for sake them if they norishe and féede his children according to his will and to his honour for that he neuer sendes children without Fatherly prouidence for their aduauncemēt By the same reason let fathers take héede that they suffer no vice or deformety of manners in them séeing that as God is pure holy and vndefiled so hee hath giuen children to fathers to fashion them such one 's for him wherein if they faile he will repute them as principall authors of their faults and with their children hold them guiltie in his terrible iustice Therfore let them not pamper nor corrupt them with wanton libertie let thē not make Idoles of them in the intrales of their hearts nor damne them selues to raise their children to riches and estates which they haue not deserued whereby perhaps for recompence they wyll procure perill to their liues But let them only obserue the will and prescript of God present them to him in the institution which he demaundes at their hands hauing no commaundement of him to make their children great Lords but rather men of honestie then possessers of great wealth which being duly obserued of fathers in the institucion of their children encreaseth the honor of their houses and bringes a recompence of eternall glorye to their whole posteritie ¶ In what dutie children are bound to their Fathers and Mothers Chapter vj. THE Scripture by many commaundements bindes children to honour and obey their fathers and mothers And by all right of nature and lawes humaine Ciuill and barbarous they are enioyned to disobey them in nothing I meane concerning humane honestie naturall dutie and diuine ordenance For if the commaundements of Fathers and mothers stretch to other things they abuse their authoritie séeing as I haue sayd they represent God in earth in the procreation and noriture of their children as the ministers of his prouidence and will and therefore their commaundements ought to agrée with the prescript rule of Gods will. And touching the disobedience of the child to the Father mother it is well expressed in the lawe of GOD giuen to Moyses how grieuous that disobedience was béeing commaunded to stoning euen a like punishment as if the disobedience had ben don against God as in déede the transgression and faulte retorned against the same Lord who being the great soueraigne Father hath ordeined this father fleshly in nature as his Liefetenant and executor of his will he cursed likewise the child that was guiltie in disobedience as in the lawe naturall Noe punished his sonne Cham with curses for that he mocked him which God ratefied Jacob depriued his sonne Ruben of his discent bycause he did outrage against him The Scripture afordes many curses to the child that either in act or word disobeyeth his Father and Mother and the Sonne that scorneth or disdaineth either of them is iudged worthy that the Rauens and crowes picke out his eyes meaning that in no sort such one deserues the vse of common light nor